Unmasking - (Envoy)

Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

I. Peter 2:5

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

II. Corinthians 6:17-18

Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.

Philippians 2:15

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

I. Peter 2:9-10

Ye (believers) are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 5:14 & 16

And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her (Babylon) my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

Revelation 18:4

When God called Israel, He said if they obeyed His voice and kept the covenant, then they would be His peculiar treasure. Obedience was the stipulation in the agreement. They had to obey the voice of God and keep the covenant. But many of them could not understand this simple fact because the knowledge that they were the "chosen people" caused them to develop a spiritually fatal disease called false security. Even though the Lord tried to warn them through the prophets, they would not heed the warnings. They simply were convinced that God would never turn His face from them because He had made an eternal covenant with them. They were chosen and special. Therefore, they assumed He would never judge them or punish them for their persistent sin and rebellion.

But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless. Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say We are safe - safe to do all these detestable things?

NIV Jeremiah 7:8-10

Hear this, you leaders of the house of Jacob, you rulers of the house of Israel, who despise justice and distort all that is right; who build Zion with bloodshed, and Jerusalem with wickedness. Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money. Yet they lean upon the Lord and say, Is not the Lord among us?

NIV Micah 3:9-11

The people of Israel knew God had established an eternal covenant with them. They knew the reason they were God's people was because of the obedience of someone else—Abraham. His obedience was established in heaven and was the basis for the covenant they were partaking of. Because of his obedience, God swore that the Jewish people would always be His people. Thus, they assumed God would continually overlook their sin for the sake of Abraham. Not so!

Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching! declares the Lord. Go now to the place in Shiloh where I first made a dwelling for my name, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of my people Israel...Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: My anger and my wrath will be poured out on this place, on man and beast, on the trees of the field and the fruit of the ground, and it will burn and not be quenched.

NIV Jeremiah 7:11-12 & 20

So much for false security! Though the Lord has never broken any of His covenants, He will not allow man to use those covenants as tools of manipulation, forcing Him to let them to continue in rebellion. Both the Old and the New Covenants contain stipulations and qualifications, presenting us with a picture of how the sovereignty of God and the free will of man operate, full-bore, side by side. God has never broken His covenant with the Jewish people, but He has cut many individual Jews off from the provisions and blessings of that covenant.

It seems God's people are slow to learn and quick to repeat the same mistakes over and over again. Many of Abraham's spiritual children have not learned from Israel's terrible blunder. We have been infected with that very same false security.

We know that God has made an eternal covenant with us. We know the reason we are God's people is because of the obedient sacrifice of someone else—Jesus Christ. His obedience unto death was established in heaven and the blood of His sacrifice is the basis for the covenant we partake of. Therefore, multitudes of Christians have come to the same conclusion as the Hebrews: God will always ignore our sin for Jesus' sake. Not so!

For you were called to freedom brethren; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love be servants of one another...But I say walk in the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh...now the works of the flesh are plain (obvious): fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those (Christians) who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

NAS Galatians 5:13,16,19-21

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

I. Corinthians 6:9-10

For this ye (should) know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

Ephesians 5:5-6

Who was Paul talking to? Who was he warning not to gratify the desires of the flesh? He was warning Christians in Corinth, Ephesus and Galatia not to make the same fatal mistake his brethren after the flesh had made! He was talking to those who have been "born again," to those who have been "saved by grace," to those who are in a covenant relationship with God, based on the sacrifice of Jesus. He was warning us!

Such a warning to the unbeliever would be pointless. Those who are still lost in sin possess no freedom—they are still prisoners of the Devil. They have no power to choose not to gratify the desires of their flesh. The only people who have a choice between walking "in the Spirit" or walking "in the flesh" are believers. Paul was telling us that we must choose to walk in the Spirit if we want to gain our inheritance, for if we choose to "do such things" (walk in the flesh) we will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words. It is possible for a Christian to be shut out of the Kingdom of God.

While most of us say we believe these scriptures, we really don’t, for we are trusting in the deceptive words of Eternal Security advocates who claim that because we have been "saved by grace" we in fact can do such things and still go to heaven. They tell us the Kingdom of God is not really the destination of the Gentile Church anyway. Rather, the spirit realm (heaven) is our destination. Therefore, being shut out of the kingdom is no deterrent against sin. Warnings like these—and there are many of them in the New Testament—mean nothing to us because we do not apply them to ourselves.

Don't delude yourselves: no one makes a fool of God! A person reaps what he sows. Those who keep sowing in the field of their old nature, in order to meet its needs and demands, will eventually reap ruin; but those who keep sowing in the field of the Spirit will reap from the Spirit everlasting life.

JNT Galatians 6:7-8

Despite our profession of faith, we shall reap what we have sown in this life. The term "sow" implies action. We sow (live) according to what we really want. The average Christian today has no idea it’s possible to accept Jesus as Savior yet live in the flesh, that it’s possible to assent mentally to correct doctrine yet sow to the flesh, that it is possible to attend church yet spend most of our time and energies gratifying the desires of our old nature. Those who do so will not enter the Kingdom of God. They will reap death, not life. The death they will reap is not only physical but spiritual. This is the explicit teaching of the Bible.

God will never break the New Covenant. He will never break His word. But He can and will cut off those individuals who persist in sin and rebellion from the provisions of that covenant, for He is no respecter of persons. What He did to the Hebrews He will do to Christians. But this is not His desire. His desire is to make us part of His Royal Priesthood.

This is why the emphasis of the entire New Testament is on holy living and righteous conduct. To be a "light" to the unsaved we must be different from them. We can’t partake of the sin and iniquity they live in and still be light. It is not enough to talk about light. We must become light. We must show Jesus to the lost, not merely tell them about Him. We have to demonstrate the life of God to those living in darkness.

Talk is cheap—especially religious talk—and hypocrites are as common as ordinary house flies. Those who live around us live in darkness. Their gods are the things that bring them security and pleasure. God wants a people on this earth that will show forth His righteousness, that will show forth His glory and be light. This is the call of Jewish people. It is also the call of the Church of Jesus Christ.

Heirs Of The Promise

For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law (faithful Jews), but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham (faithful Gentiles); who is the father of us all.

Romans 4:13,14,16

Who is the seed of Abraham? To whom do the promises apply? Such questions are not simply academic, neither are they insignificant. Today there are several groups of people who genuinely believe that they are the seed of Abraham. The Jews believe they are the seed through Isaac and Jacob. The Arabs believe they are the seed through Ishmael, Abraham's first child. Christians believe they are the true seed through faith.

Concerning the Arab claim, the Bible is clear. God said to Abraham, "in Isaac shall thy seed be called" (Gen. 21:12). To further settle the issue, Abraham, while yet alive, gave all that he had to Isaac. He gave his other sons gifts and sent them away into the east country (Gen. 25:5-6). Unfortunately, the Arab people do not pay any attention to the Hebrew Scripture. They have their own sacred writings which they call the Qur'an (Koran). The thesis of the Qur'an is very simple: the descendants of Ishmael are God's chosen people and rightful heirs of the promise.

Muslims are taught that both the Old and New Testaments are corrupted versions of the Qur'an. Supposedly, God gave man Islam as the original religion and the Qur'an as the original inspired writings. Adam was a Muslim; Abraham was a Muslim. The Jews (Isaac and his offspring) stole the birth-right, corrupted the true religion and perverted the Qur'an in order to make themselves the people of promise. Christians came along later and further corrupted the true religion and the Qur'an in order to make themselves the people of promise. The age-old conflict between the Arab and the Jew is basically a religious conflict. Until this fundamental issue is resolved there will never be genuine peace between them—good intentions notwithstanding.

What about the biological descendants of Abraham? Are not the Jews God's "chosen people?" Undeniably. Are they not also "the seed" to whom the promise applies? Not necessarily. The Scripture is also clear concerning the Jewish claim to Abraham's inheritance—though not as easily grasped.

God called the biological offspring of Abraham to be His special people. He called them in toto, as a race. This was the only occasion in all of human history—and it will never happen again—that God chose a specific race of people to be His own. That call remains in effect. They are still called of God. They remain His original chosen people. This will never change. God has neither forsaken them or forgotten them.

However, not every descendant of Abraham has answered that call. It is not enough to be born called. Each individual Jew must answer that call by choosing to walk in paths of righteousness. Being born a Jew was not a guarantee that you would actually receive the inheritance. It was only a guarantee that you were called and destined to receive it. Whether or not a Hebrew actually gained what he was destined to receive depended entirely on whether or not he answered the call of God and walked by faith. No unfaithful Jew—then or now—will receive the promise or fulfill the destiny that was ordained for him by the Lord.

Even so, the call to the Priesthood abides on the Jewish race, past and present. This is a concept the Jewish people have never accepted. Since the day God entered into the covenant with them at Mt. Sinai, they have thought all that was required of a person to receive the promise was that he/she be born a Hebrew. But that is not what God told them at Sinai. He said, if you "obey my voice" and "keep my covenant," then you shall be my peculiar treasure, then you will be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation, then you will receive the inheritance.

There was a stipulation to the arrangement. The people had to obey God; they had to do their part. Unfortunately, many Hebrews were blinded by false security. They could not grasp the simple meaning of what God said at Sinai. Thousands of years later they were still caught in that same deception. When Jesus came on the scene He told them that being born a Jew was not enough to make them the seed of Abraham. They also had to have the faith of Abraham. He said only those who do the works of Abraham are counted as the seed.

I know that ye are Abraham's (biological) seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father (the devil). Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar the father of it.

John 8:37-44

The religious leaders were convinced that they were the seed of Abraham. They believed that being born a Hebrew automatically made them the children of promise. Moreover, the Scribes, Lawyers, Pharisees and Sadducees were to the average Hebrew what our preachers and theologians and teachers are to us. They functioned as the guardians of God's revelation to His people. They taught the average Hebrew what his heritage and destiny as a child of Abraham was.

Along came a self-taught Rabbi who did not go to their seminary, who didn't acquire His knowledge of God through the religious establishment. As a matter of fact, this renegade Rabbi had absolutely no academic credentials whatsoever. Yet He spoke with authority and told them that even though they were the biological seed of Abraham, they were not the children of promise. He said though they were Hebrews, they were not the children of God or the true heirs of the inheritance. The promise did not apply to them because they were not doing the works of Abraham.

As far as these rulers were concerned, Jesus’ words were heretical, fanatical and dangerous. How could He make such a claim? On what basis was He making such radical statements? On the basis of deeds. The fact that the religious rulers to whom He was speaking were at that very moment planning his death was evidence that these Jews were not the children of promise. They were doing the works of Satan, not Abraham, so they were the seed of Satan, not Abraham. Jesus was only telling them how God saw them. No wonder they wanted to kill Him!

God warned the Hebrews that all who rebelled or continued to live in sin would be cut off from among the people. Being cut off did not mean that you were deported out of the nation. Neither did it mean that you ceased being a biological Hebrew. Rather, to be cut off was a spiritual operation performed by the hand of God. Those who were disobedient were separated spiritually from those who were obedient. They would not receive the promise or fulfill the destiny that God had ordained for them. Jesus was simply informing these religious leaders that they, by their own choice, had been cut off.

Within the single commonwealth of the nation of Israel there existed two groups of Hebrews. One group consisted of those who were caught up in self-righteousness and pride, or else idolatry and paganism. This was Israel after the flesh. The other group, which was a small remnant, remained faithful to God. Their faith produced obedience to God and His Law. This was Israel after the Spirit.

Both Israel after the flesh and Israel after the Spirit were Hebrews. Both were the chosen people. Both existed side by side in a single national framework. Both were called to be part of God's Royal Priesthood. But only one walked by faith. Only one belonged to Christ. Only one was a spiritual light. Israel after the Spirit was the one which fulfilled the destiny prepared for the entire nation. Israel after the Spirit was always a remnant within the nation. Only that faithful remnant was "counted as the seed." It was Israel after the Spirit that received the promise and gained the inheritance.

This is the "Israel" that will be God's Priesthood throughout eternity. This is the "Israel" that will be the joy of the whole earth. This is the "Israel" the prophets described when predicting its future glory. This is the "Israel" that non-Jewish believers have been joined to through faith in Jesus. Along with them, we have become heirs to the promise.

Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all (true) Israel, which are of (national) Israel: Neither, because they are the (biological) seed of Abraham, are they all children (of promise): but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

Romans 9:6-8

What then? Israel (the Jewish people) hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election (elect remnant) hath obtained it the rest (of the Jewish people) were blinded.

Romans 11:7

Now we, brethren (Gentile believers), as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

Galatians 4:28

Paul taught two very important truths about Israel, especially in Romans. First, he said not every biological Jew was part of true Israel (Israel after the Spirit). He states plainly they are not all considered true Israel which are of national Israel. Neither because they are the biological offspring of Abraham are they all automatically counted as children (of promise). The children of the flesh (Israel after the flesh) are not counted or numbered as the children of God, but the children of promise (Israel after the Spirit) are counted for the seed.

How do we know which Hebrews are the children of promise and which are the children of the flesh? The children of promise walk in obedience and faith. The children of the flesh walk in rebellion and unbelief. Their deeds reveal exactly whose children they are. It’s that simple! Israel (the nation) has not obtained that which he seeketh for, but the elect (true Israel) have obtained it. The rest of the nation was blinded. As it turned out, only a remnant were actually the children of promise.

The second truth Paul taught was that Gentile believers have, through faith in Israel’s Messiah, become children of promise. Speaking to us non-Jewish believers, our Jewish brother Paul says, "Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of the promise." Being the children of promise makes us heirs to the promise.

What promise are we heirs to? The same promise that Isaac is heir to. The same promise that Abraham is heir to. The same promise that the elect remnant of Jews are heir to. The Israel to whom the promise applies includes non-Jewish New Testament believers as well as Old Testament Hebrews!

Could Paul have painted a clearer picture for us? Why then can’t we understand what he said? Why do we assume that the Israel to whom the promise applies is comprised entirely of biological Jews? Why do we insist that non-Jewish believers have no part in the destiny of the Jews? Why don't we understand that we are heirs of the same promise? Did God promise the "seed of Abraham" a kingdom on earth? That is our promise also! Did He promise the Jews that they would rule the nations of the earth? That is our promise too! Did He promise that the riches of the Gentiles (nations) would be brought to them? That is our promise as well! Did He promise children of Abraham a literal chunk of real-estate in the Middle East? That is our promise also!

Why do we think the "Israel" of the prophets is and shall forever remain a biological entity only? The reason we cannot understand Paul's words is because we have been brainwashed by the lies of Dispensationalism—a theology that spits in the face of Scripture, arrogantly denying the obvious meaning of so many of its statements.

The seed of Abraham includes those of every dispensation, Jew and Gentile alike, who have walked by faith. This is true because the seed of Abraham is Jesus Christ, Israel’s Messiah. The promise is to Jesus. If you are part of Messiah the promise applies to you. God did not promise the elect Jew one thing and the elect Gentile something else! We partake of the same promise and share the same inheritance.

Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not to seeds, as of many; but as of one to thy seed, which is Christ...Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

Galatians 3:16 & 19

Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham...And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed heirs according to the promise.

Galatians 3:7 & 29

There is only one seed of Abraham, to which all the promises and the whole inheritance—spiritual and natural—belongs. That seed is Messiah, the King of Israel those who are His. Jesus is not merely one of two seeds, or one of many seeds. He is the seed. There is no other seed! In order to receive the promise, a person must be Christ's. In order to receive the inheritance, a person must be Christ's. In order to be Christ's, a person must walk by faith and obey God. Paul clearly says the promise is through "the righteousness of faith" that it might be sure to all the seed, both Jewish and non-Jewish! Every person in every age who has walked by faith is reckoned in Christ and counted for the seed.

This truth is very important because the majority of us have been taught that there are two seeds of Abraham: biological Jews and Christians. Each seed is said to have its own particular calling and eternal destiny, based on different promises. The destiny of the Jewish people is said to be literal and earthly but the destiny of the Church is said to be spiritual and heavenly. The Jews will live in a Jewish kingdom on earth but the Church will live in a Gentile kingdom in the spirit realm (heaven).

This teaching, which is so central to Dispensationalism, was conceived by J.N. Darby, one of the leaders of the Plymouth Brethren Movement in Europe around 1830. If brother Darby was right, Paul was a liar and a deceiver! Indeed, Dispensationalism is a calculated denial of the "mystery" God revealed to Paul, for he taught that believing Jews and non-Jews are to become one new man in Messiah. Darby taught the exact opposite. He said, "the Jewish nation is never to enter the Church." Never to enter the Church? What arrogance! Shall we presume that Abraham, the father of the faith, will never be part of the body of Christ, which is the Church? And what of the heroes of faith in the book of Hebrews? Will they not be part of the Messiah's body? What of the prophets who foretold the coming of Jesus?

What Darby was saying is that after the establishment of the New Covenant, God formed another chosen people called the Church. Now He has two chosen peoples, each with their own separate eternal destinies, based on different promises and covenants. Instead of becoming part of God's original chosen people, the Gentile Church supposedly constitutes another chosen people. We are a new and separate entity, having our own specific promises, covenant and destiny—none of which corresponds to anything the Jews were promised.

The name that is applied to this new entity is "spiritual Israel." When preachers talk about spiritual Israel, most of the time they are talking about the new (Gentile) chosen people who have no part in the destiny of the Jews. Again, this is the exact opposite revelation that Paul received from the Spirit.

Besides being totally unscriptural, this teaching is hopelessly illogical. Which kingdom will Abraham end up in—the Gentile heaven or the Jewish kingdom on earth? What about Peter, the Jew, who also happened to be a Christian? Will he be in heaven with the Gentiles or on the earth with his fellow Jews? How "Jewish" would one have to be before being assigned to the earthly Jewish kingdom? Half-Jewish? One-quarter Jewish? What about Jesus, the Jew? Will He rule over the Gentile Church in heaven or the Jewish kingdom on earth?

Though Dispensationalism is the majority view in our day, the average believer has never studied it. In fact, most of us do not even realize this is what we are being taught. Rarely is the whole theological picture presented to us. We are usually taught it in bits and pieces, so we never recognize the profound theological and practical confusion that arises from its theories. Nor do we recognize its most destructive element—the notion that those under the Old Covenant had to obey God to inherit the promises but those under the New Covenant don’t.

First, brother Darby divided the seed between Jews and Christians. Then he divided the inheritance into earthly and heavenly components. Finally, he proposed different requirements for receiving each of the different inheritances. Every one of these steps stand in direct opposition to a multitude of plainly stated scriptures. Yet few "Bible-believing" Christians seem to realize it.

According to Darby—and later, the famous C. I. Scofield—the Jews had to obey the Law in order to get their earthly inheritance but we Christians only have to believe in Jesus to get our heavenly inheritance. For the Jew it was obedience, for the Christian it is grace. For the Jew it was what he did, for the Christian it is what he believes. If we profess faith in Jesus we will automatically receive the inheritance (by grace) whether we actually obey God or not. Our personal obedience, while encouraged, is not viewed as absolutely necessary in order to gain the inheritance, otherwise it would not be by grace.

The Bible teaches that God judges all men by the same standard that standard is obedience. His people in every age have been required to live by faith. Genuine faith has always produced works (of obedience) and it always will. Those who claim to believe in God, but do not obey Him, do not possess genuine faith. The person that claims to love and serve God, but does not obey Him, does not possess true faith. The definitive character of faith is found in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews.

Faith caused Able to offer a more excellent sacrifice and caused Enoch to please God. Faith caused Noah to build an ark. It caused Abraham to journey to a strange land and offer up Isaac, the child of promise. Faith caused the parents of Moses to hide him and caused Moses to choose to suffer affliction with the people of God rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. It caused Rehab to help the spies escape from Jericho. It caused some to subdue kingdoms, work righteousness, obtain promises, stop the mouths of lions, quench the violence of fire and escape the edge of the sword. It caused others to lay down their lives for the sake of the Kingdom.

All these saints possessed real faith, which causes us to act upon the word God speaks. It causes us to obey Him. It causes us to do the works of Abraham that we might share the inheritance of Abraham. It makes us Abraham's seed and heirs to the promise.

No Longer Strangers

Keep in mind, therefore, that once you were physically Gentiles and were called uncircumcision by the so-called circumcision that is made with human hands in the flesh; that in those days you were separated from Christ, aliens without the right of Israel's citizenship and strangers to the covenants of promise, living in the world without hope and without God. But now in Christ Jesus, you, who were once far away, have been brought near by the blood of Christ...Therefore, you are no longer strangers and immigrants, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of God's household.

MLB Ephesians 2:11-13 & 19

Because of this (preaching that Gentiles are fellow citizens of Israel) I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles - you surely heard how the administration of divine grace to you was granted me, how by revelation the secret was made known to me...which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as now it is revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets, that the Gentiles are joint inheritors, share the same body are participants of the promise in Christ Jesus through the good news.

MLB Ephesians 3:1-3 & 5-6

The apostle Paul was given a revelation that had been hid from past generations. The Gentiles were to have their full share in what God was doing with the chosen people. Many of us may not be aware that such an idea was anathema to the Jews, including the first century Jewish Christians. To the Hebrew Christians, Yeshua was the Jewish Messiah who had come to fulfill the promises made to the Jewish people.

The people of Israel assumed that when their Messiah came, He would deliver them out of Roman political bondage and exalt the nation above the rest of the nations, thereby allowing them to proceed with their divine call of being a light to the Gentiles. The idea that Gentiles were to become part of that light was absurd and obnoxious to the Jews.

Paul spent much of his time fighting on behalf of Gentile believers, that they might be admitted into the fellowship of the first century Church, which was Jewish. He suffered no small amount of persecution for teaching that believing non-Jews share Israel's calling and destiny. On one occasion a Jewish mob almost ripped him to pieces because they thought he had taken Gentiles into the Temple—a practice which was forbidden and punishable by death. When the Roman guards came and saved his life he asked to speak to the crowd. They listened to him until he said God sent him to the Gentiles to preach, at which point they rent their clothes and demanded that he be killed (Acts 21:26-22:23).

Teaching that the Gentiles shared the same promises, inheritance and destiny as the Hebrews was worse than heresy to the Jews. To them, Paul was denying the uniqueness and distinctiveness of the chosen people.

It took a supernatural vision for Peter, a devout Jew, to consider offering the salvation of the Jews to Cornelius, a Gentile. The issue of whether or not Gentiles should be allowed to enter the Church was so important a special counsel was set up with all the apostles to get it straightened out (Acts 15:2-29). Many of the first Jewish Christians were zealous of the law (Acts 21:20) and did not want a Jew, upon becoming a Christian, to forsake Moses. Allowing those who did not obey the Law into the fellowship was perceived as a danger to the unity of the Jewish nation.

Gradually, Jewish believers began to accept non-Jewish believers. Even so, they were viewed as strangers who, though accepted by God, were certainly not on the same level as Jews. As time went on, Jews became the minority and Gentile believers the majority in the Church. When the Gentiles came to power they wasted no time in turning the tables on the Jews, requiring them to sign papers agreeing not to observe the Law or continue to fellowship with non-believing Jews. Everything Jewish was looked upon with great suspicion by Church leaders and discouraged—if not outlawed. The Lords Day was moved to Sunday precisely to distance the Church from any connection with Judaism.

At the same time that the Church was cleansing itself of all vestiges of Judaism and Jewish culture, it was adopting every manner of pagan religious view and practice. It quickly degenerated into paganism and became totally Gentile in character. It remained that way for 1200 years. With the advent of Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation, many of the pagan doctrines and practices of the Roman Catholic organization were cast off. Unfortunately however, brother Martin did nothing in the way of returning believers to their spiritual Hebrew roots.

Christianity is not a new religion. It is the full revelation of the original Hebrew religion. We are not God's new chosen people but strangers indeed, whom He has allowed to become part of His original people. Everyone who belongs to Messiah has become part of Israel. They have been grafted onto the good olive tree—a Hebrew tree. They have been grafted into a new destiny—a Jewish destiny. There is no such thing as a Gentile olive tree or a Gentile Church.

For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches were broken off you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them with them, became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches. But if you boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, ‘branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.’ Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either.

NKJV Romans 11:16-21

By faith, Gentile believers are grafted into the good olive tree and partake of its root and fatness. The root represents the heritage and destiny of the Hebrew people. The fatness represents the life and blessings that were intended for them. We have been joined to them and with them share the same heritage, destiny, life and blessings.

God did not turn to the other trees (nations) and bless them. He did not modify or create a new destiny for them. Rather, He cut us out of our original heritages and destinies and grafted us into the heritage and destiny of His chosen people, Israel. The call to the Priesthood belongs to "the House of Israel." It does not and never will belong to the nations.

Christianity was foretold by Hebrew prophets and announced by righteous Jews like John the Baptist, Zechariah, Elizabeth, Simeon, Anna and Mary. It was instituted by Yeshua, the Jewish Messiah, during Pesach, the Jewish Feast of Passover. The Apostles, who were the first Christians, were Jews. The Church was born on Shavout, the Jewish Feast of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit fell on 120 Jews waiting in the upper room in Jerusalem. The original body of Christ consisted only of Jews and the New Testament was written by Jews.

In the book of Revelation the risen, glorified Christ is described as "the Lion of the Tribe of Judah" who holds "the key of David" In His glorified state the Lord still identifies Himself with His Hebrew heritage! The 144,000 that stand on Mt. Zion—which represent the overcomers of all generations—are described as "all the tribes of the children of Israel." The two witnesses prophesy, are slain and are raised in Jerusalem. Those that overcame the Beast were seen standing before the throne of God on a sea of glass, singing "the song of Moses." The "new Jerusalem" has on the foundations of its wall and its gates the names of 24 Jews. Indeed, the whole concept of God dwelling in a temple, whether it be of stone or the heart, is Hebrew in origin. At the end of John’s Revelation Jesus refers to Himself as "the root and offspring of David."

It might surprise some to learn that Jesus has no intention of spending eternity in heaven. He taught us to pray that His kingdom would come to earth. He never told us to pray that the Church would fly off to the spirit realm. "Thy kingdom come," this should be our heart’s cry, for one day Messiah will return to this planet and establish an everlasting kingdom (Dan. 7:13-14). When He does, He will come to Jerusalem, to the Mt. of Olives (Zech. 14:4), not to New York, London or Rome. Then Jerusalem will be called the throne of the Lord (Jer. 3:17), for Messiah will be given the throne of His father David (Luke 1:32). Then the Law shall go forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem (Isa. 2:3) all the nations that have survived the Great Tribulation and the judgments of God will be required to go up to the city of Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Tabernacles (Zech. 14:16-19).

From Genesis to Revelation, the call to the priesthood, the promises, the inheritance, salvation, adoption, the future kingdom, everything is to "Israel." If we are in fact a separate entity, we don't have much to look forward to! If we have no inheritance in Israel, we have no inheritance at all, for our notions about mansions and streets of gold in the spirit realm are religious traditions. Those who are in Messiah Jesus have been made part of Israel. We are no longer strangers! We have been grafted into the good olive tree. We are fellow heirs and of the same body. We have our inheritance in Jerusalem—heavenly and earthly—and in Israel. We will not be disinherited by anyone!

Paul warned us to remember that once we were part of the nations as such, were excluded from the inheritance and destiny of Israel. But now, through Israel’s Messiah, we have been joined to Israel. We have been brought near by the blood of Christ and are now included in those promises. We are part of the commonwealth of Israel and are fellow citizens of Israel. He had good reason to warn us. Our failure to remember this simple truth has created spiritual havoc among believers for centuries. Even worse, it has paved the way for the persecution and murder of millions of Jews.

Knowing we have been joined to Israel should fill our hearts with joy and cause us to have a humble and compassionate attitude towards the broken branches. It also should cause us to fear God. "Do not boast against the branches," said Paul. Remember that the root is supporting you, not the other way around. You have been grafted into someone else’s heritage. You have been joined to their promises, their covenants, their destiny and their adoption as sons by trusting their Messiah. So don’t think you are better than the Jews! Recognize that they were cut off from their own destiny (the olive tree) because of unfaithfulness and rebellion. You have been grafted into their destiny through faith and obedience. Instead of being proud, you should fear, for if you do not remain faithful, that which happened to the people of Israel will happen to you.

Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those that fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again...For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that hardening in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

NKJV. Romans 11:22,23,25

Could Paul make it any clearer? We partake of the goodness of God because of our faith. We must not become arrogant towards either the natural branches (Jews) or the goodness of God. We must remain humble and faithful. We must continue in that goodness, otherwise we too shall be cut off. Yet despite such a clear warning, many Christians behave arrogantly towards the Jewish people. They look down their noses at them as if what happened to them could never happen to us! Even worse, we behave arrogantly towards God Himself.

Since we have been taught that salvation is based on belief instead of obedience, we assume that once we have "believed" and made a profession of faith we could never be cut off from God. We would do well to read John chapter fifteen afresh, not in the shadows of theological speculation, but in the light of what actually happened to a people who were in covenant relationship with God—a covenant that is eternal.

I am the true vine my Father is the husbandman. Every branch (person) in me that beareth not fruit he (the Father) taketh away (cuts out of the vine): and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me...If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch (cut off) and is withered (dies); and men gather them cast them into the fire they are burned.

John 15: 1-4 & 6

The disciples were spiritually clean through the word Jesus spoke to them. The Scripture says faith cometh by hearing (Rom. 10:17). The disciples were "saved." Therefore, the Lord's message to them was very clear: "Now you are saved. Abide in me, for apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not abide in me you are in danger of having my Father cut you out of me."

The same God that cut off disobedient Jews can and does cut off disobedient Gentiles. He is no respecter of persons! We Christians are no better than the Jewish people. We are not a special case. If we walk in their stubbornness we will suffer their fate. If God cut off the natural branches because of persistent disobedience He will surely cut off the wild branches who persist in disobedience. His incomprehensible love and His terrifying justice operate full-bore, side by side.

This is why Paul told us to consider both the goodness and the severity of God. Consider what happened to the Jews, he said. Don’t walk in pride and presumption. Walk in humility and fear. "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord," he said, "we persuade men" (II. Cor. 5:11). He had a simple message for those who have been grafted into Israel: show mercy to the severed branches.

For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

Romans 11:30-31

Unfortunately, mercy has been a rare commodity among Christians when dealing with the Jews. By the 4^th century one of the most diabolical doctrines ever conceived had infiltrated the whole organized Church. It was called "Replacement Theology," and it taught that because the Jews killed God's Messiah, He rejected them totally and eternally. If God had rejected and cursed the Jews could Christians do less? No doctrine ever invented has caused more death and destruction to the Jews. Whenever a nation or a government decided to despoil, deport or destroy the Jewish population living in its midst (either for political, economic or religious reasons) they could always turn to the writings and decrees of the State (Roman Catholic) church for justification.

But it was not only the writings of Romish priests and popes that provided justification for persecution of the chosen people down through the centuries. Protestant pastors contributed their fair share. In fact, the great German Reformer, Martin Luther, called for the burning of all copies of the Talmud and the permanent closure of all Synagogues in the country. He also called for the deportation of every German Jew who refused to convert to Christianity.

A few hundred years later another German would stand in front of tens of thousands of German Christians and quote Martin Luther as he called for the extermination of the Jewish race. It is an historical fact that the Gentile "Christian" doctrine of Replacement Theology has been responsible for the persecution and murder of millions of Jews.

Why do so many Christians behave arrogantly towards the Jews? Why did great Christian leaders like Luther possess such a callous attitude towards them? Why, instead of showing them mercy, do we do the exact opposite? It is because we do not see them as our people. We feel no kinship towards them. They mean nothing to us. We have been cut off from our Hebraic roots for centuries. At best we have accepted Dispensationalism, thinking that the destiny of the Jew and the Gentile are forever separate. At worst we have bought into the lie of Replacement Theology, believing that we have replaced them entirely.

As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

Romans 11:28‑29

Generally speaking, the hearts of Gentile believers have been (and remain) callous and indifferent towards the Jews. We view them more like enemies than fallen kinsman. We have no burden for them, no heart for them. They are the "Christ killers" in our eyes whatever God does with them is His business. We see ourselves as having nothing in common with them. After all, our destiny and their destiny are different. So we will just worry about helping our fellow Gentiles.

Maybe it was precisely this kind of callous, ungrateful attitude that prompted the apostle Paul to write what he did in Romans. He said the Jews are enemies of the gospel message for your sakes! They were broken off the olive tree to make room for you. But concerning their election (as the chosen people), they are still "beloved" for the sake of the patriarchs. The "gifts and calling of God are without repentance." They are still the called. Many of us have forgotten that the Father still loves them and is working with them in His own way. Many of those branches will answer that call and be grafted in again. If God loves them for the fathers’ sakes, can we not do the same?

Be warned; any theological system that divides you from your Hebrew heritage and destiny comes from the heart of Satan! Any doctrine that produces an arrogant or callous attitude towards the Jews comes straight from the pit of hell! So it is with Replacement Theology; so it is with Dispensation Theology.

True Israel: One New Man

For he is our peace, who hath made both one hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace.

Ephesians 2:14-15

God's purpose in forming National Israel was that He might have a righteous people dwelling in the midst of the rest of the nations of the earth that would represent Him. He chose to begin the formation of His Royal Priesthood with one race of people—the Hebrews. After the first advent of the Messiah, the way was made to continue the formation of that Priesthood outside the confines of the Jewish race. The gospel went forth to the nations and has continued to do so for over 1900 years.

It is extremely important that we understand God did not change His eternal purpose after the establishment of the New Covenant. The gospel that went forth to the Gentiles was a call to become part of that same Royal Priesthood through faith in the Lord Jesus. God’s intention is to gather sons and daughters from every kindred, tongue and nation and make of them kings and priests. They will reign on the earth with Messiah (Rev. 5:7-10). But before this could be done, the call to the Priesthood had to be released from the confines of a single biological race. The opportunity to become part of what God was forming had to pass from Israel to the nations.

This is precisely what the gospel is all about. It is a call to become part of the destiny prepared for the chosen people. God never planned one destiny for the elect Jews and another, separate destiny for the elect of the nations. He has one plan and is forming one Priesthood that will rule with Messiah in the ages to come. Jew and Gentile must become one in Him. This is why Jesus told the disciples He had "other sheep" He needed to "bring" into what God was doing.

I am the good shepherd; and I know my own my own know me, even as the Father knows me I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also; and they shall hear my voice; and they shall become one flock with one shepherd.

NAS John 10:14-16

The unity of Israel and the Church is taught throughout the New Testament. Paul’s mystery is clearly revealed in several ways. Firstly, it can been seen in the similarity of their call. They are both called to be a light to the nations and the same terms are used to describe them; such as an holy nation, elect, special, a peculiar treasure, chosen so on.

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul. Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

I. Peter 2:9‑12

In the above passage, several truths are immediately brought to light. First, the purpose of God working through New Testament believers is the same as it was in the Old Testament: that the nations (Gentiles) would recognize the only true God as they beheld the righteous behavior of His people. Peter admonishes them to have their conversation honest, so that even though they are called evildoers by ungodly Gentiles who do not understand them, these same Gentiles will see their good works and eventually "glorify God." In the last analysis, it is our godly conduct (not our religious talk) that acts as light.

Second, when addressing these believers, notice that Peter says they "in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God." In other words, these believers were not Jews; they were Gentiles. This takes on a new significance when we realize what Peter said to them. He said they should watch their behavior "among the Gentiles." But they themselves were Gentiles! He tells them they are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation and a peculiar people—all references to the special call of the Hebrew nation. In short, Peter no longer viewed believing Gentiles as Gentiles. He considered them part of the house of Israel. They were now the people of God, just as the Jews were they carried the same responsibility as the Jews did: to be a "light to the nations."

Non-Jewish believers are not really Gentiles, technically speaking. The term "Gentile," as applied in the book of Genesis, simply means one who is part of the unbelieving, pagan nations. It was a reference to those who had no relationship with the God of Israel. We have been joined to Israel through its Messiah. We have a relationship with Israel’s God. Thus, we are Israelites—not "Jewish" Israelites but Israelites just the same.

The possibility of a Gentile becoming a member of Israel is seen not only in the New Testament but in the Old Testament as well. Even while the call to the Priesthood was confined within the Hebrew race, it was still possible for a Gentile to partake of that call. He had to be circumcised and voluntarily bind himself to obedience to Moses. Once done, he was no longer considered a Gentile. Of course, he didn’t turn into a biological Hebrew, but he was still viewed as part of the nation and people.

Why is it so hard for Christians to grasp or accept such an elementary concept? Throughout the Old Testament, Gentiles have shared the same call and destiny as the Hebrew people. This fact should be very familiar to us. It is not a new concept or a deep revelation, but has been clearly explained and repeatedly illustrated for us. Yet we never seem to grasp the simple meaning of what has been recorded.

The person who exemplifies this truth the clearest is Ruth, the Moabitess. Her people were the descendants of incest between Lot and his daughters. Not only were they Gentiles and bitter enemies of Israel, they were forbidden to enter the congregation of Israel forever (Neh. 13:1). Ruth’s story is a dramatic preview of the mystery that would be revealed to Paul centuries later. Not only does she become a full-fledged member of the house of Israel, not only does she partake of the promises made to the chosen people, not only does she become a model of loyalty and faithfulness for all saints in all ages, she also ends up being the great grandmother of King David and an ancestor of Messiah!

Ruth married a Judean named Boaz, who happened to be the son of Rahab, the Canaanite harlot who hid the Hebrew spies. Think of it! Boaz (a half Canaanite) marries Ruth (a full-blooded Moabitess) from them comes Obed, Jesse, King David eventually Jesus of Nazareth. Could there be a more graphic illustration of how God makes Gentiles part—sometimes a very important part!—of His holy nation? Non-Hebrews have always been part of the commonwealth of Israel. This is an historical fact. Though they did not turn into biological Jews, they were still viewed as part of the nation and people of Israel.

That a Gentile can become a full-fledged member of the (literal) commonwealth of Israel is not only an historical reality, it is a present reality. Even today, modern Judaism makes room for those who wish to assimilate or convert to that religion. The person who wishes to do so must undergo an extensive time of training. During this probationary time he/she learns what is expected of them. At the end of this time they are baptized and given a new Hebrew name, which signifies that there has been a complete break from their former genealogical and religious heritage. They become fellow-citizens of the Jewish commonwealth.

What is done in the flesh by man can surely be done in the Spirit by God Almighty! Before we are saved we are part of the unbelieving, pagan nations (Gentiles). Once brought into Christ, we cease being Gentiles. We are no longer part of the unbelieving, pagan nations. We become part of Israel, God's chosen people. We partake of their heritage, call and destiny.

The second way Paul’s mystery is revealed is seen in the way the Jewish apostles interpreted contemporary events regarding new Gentile believers as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophesies directed toward Israel. Acts chapter two records the events which took place on the Day of Pentecost. Virtually all theologians and Bible scholars agree that the New Testament Church was born on the Day of Pentecost. The apostle Peter said the events of this day were the fulfillment of Joel's prophesy concerning Israel (Joel 2:28-32). In other words, the birth of the New Testament Church, which was to include many Gentiles, is the fulfillment of God's promise to Old Testament Israel.

In Acts chapter fifteen we see another Old Testament prophesy about Israel being applied to contemporary events in the Church. A counsel of Jewish Church leaders had been called to decide if Jewish believers should allow uncircumcised Gentile believers into their fellowships. First, Peter told the Counsel what God had done among these Gentiles, how they had been given the Spirit. Then Paul and Silas testified of the same grace given to other Gentiles through their ministry.

Finally, James refers to the prophesy of Amos, which predicted the rebuilding of David's Tabernacle, as having been fulfilled in the events just described by Peter, Paul and Silas. In other words, the rebuilding of the Tabernacle of David (Amos 9:11-12) and the building of the Christian Church are the same event. Christianity is the fulfillment of Old Testament, Hebraic (not Rabbinic) Judaism. This is why there is no such thing as a Gentile Church. The Church is the full revelation and manifestation of God's original entity, Israel.

Of course, the most obvious example of the unity of Israel and the Church is the one most avoided by Dispensational teachers—the promise and fulfillment of the New Covenant. Most people are not aware that Dispensationalism teaches that there are actually two New Covenants. Supposedly, the first New Covenant is the one which was prophesied by Jeremiah and pertains only to biological Jews during the Millennium. In other words, this one has never been established. It will be established with the Jews after Jesus’ return. The other New Covenant is the one established with New Testament believers. Such a concept is totally unscriptural but absolutely necessary if Darby's radical distinction between Israel and the Church is to be maintained.

Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel with the house of Judah...But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts write it in their hearts; and will be their God they shall be my people.

Jeremiah 31:31-33

God promised that one day He would establish a "new" covenant. But He said this new covenant would be established with "the house of Israel" and with "the house of Judah." He never said anything about making it with the nations. If the New Covenant we non-Jewish believers are partaking of is the same New Covenant referred to by the prophet Jeremiah, then Christians have in fact become part of the house of Israel and the house of Judah. Those who deny this reality are forced to say that there must be another New Covenant.

Accepting that we have been brought under the same covenant Jeremiah predicted destroys the very foundation of Dispensationalism—which says Israel (the Jewish geo-political nation) and the Church (New Testament, non-Jewish saints) are separate entities, destined to remain divided for all eternity. Israel shall never enter the Church and the Church will never partake of the literal promises made to the biological Jew. Therefore, Dispensationalism is forced to teach that we are not under the New Covenant predicted by Jeremiah, but another new covenant. It teaches that Christians are partaking of a New Covenant but not the New Covenant promised to the Jews.

And He also took bread, gave thanks and brake it gave it to them, saying, This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me. Likewise He took the cup after supper, saying this is the new covenant in my blood, which is shed for you.

NKJV Luke 22:17-20

God said He was going to make a new covenant with His chosen people and that is exactly what He did. Contrary to the theological pretzel-bending and vain jangling of Dispensational scholars, the Word of God states plainly that the Messiah did come to the houses of Israel and Judah. He did establish the (one and only) New Covenant with them! The first people to be brought into the New Covenant were the Jewish people. The apostles and the seventy were Jews. The one hundred and twenty in the upper room on the day of Pentecost were Jews. The original body of Christ was founded in Jerusalem by Jews for Jews!

Years before the first Gentile congregation was ever planted, tens of thousands of Jews had entered Jeremiah's new covenant. This is why Jesus said salvation is "of the Jews" (John 4:22) why Paul said the Christian redemption is for "the Jew first" (Rom. 1:16). The Messiah had to come to the lost sheep of the house of Israel first because the promises and covenants belong to them. They are the children's bread. The New Covenant is their covenant (Rom. 9:3-5).

In time, God used the apostle Paul to raise up congregations of believers among the nations. Exactly which covenant were these congregations brought into? They were brought into the same covenant Jewish believers were brought into; the covenant promised by God, prophesied by Jeremiah and established by Jesus the Messiah.

There is only one New Covenant! Twice the writer of Hebrews quotes Jeremiah's prophesy when explaining the difference between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant (Heb. 8:8-12 & 10:16-17). In the last instance he uses what Jeremiah said about the New Covenant promised to Israel, to explain a function of the New Covenant established by Jesus.

For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days says the Lord: I will put my laws into their hearts in their minds will I write them, then He adds, Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.

Hebrews 10:14-17

The Spirit is present to bear witness that what He spoke through the mouth of Jeremiah was fulfilled through the Cross of Calvary: that our sins will not be remembered. The writer is explaining how the promise, "their sins will be remembered no more"—which was directed to Israel and Judah—is being fulfilled in the lives New Testament Christians. The New Covenant we partake of is the covenant predicted by Jeremiah.

The book of Hebrews states the many feasts, sacrifices and customs of the Old Testament were a shadow of things to come (Heb. 8:5 & 10:1). A shadow reveals the general shape or outline of a thing but is not the thing itself. If the types and shadows of the Old Testament were Jewish, certainly the fulfillment of them in the New Testament is also Jewish. If the representation (types and shadows) of New Testament salvation was Hebrew in origin, certainly the substance or reality (Christianity) is also Hebrew in origin! Christianity is not a new religion but the realization of what the original Hebrew religion typified.

We are no longer required to observe the literal Hebrew Feast of Passover—which represents our initial salvation. Yet, we must experience the spiritual fulfillment of that Feast, otherwise we remain separated from God. Also, we are no longer required to observe the literal Feast of Pentecost—which represents the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Yet, if we want to live a victorious life we must experience the spiritual fulfillment of that Feast. Again, we are no longer required to observe the literal Feast of Tabernacles—which, we believe, represents baptism into God's cleansing and purging fire of judgment. But if we desire to know the fullness of God we must experience the spiritual fulfillment of this Feast.

Circumcision has its value if you keep the Law; but if you keep breaking the Law, you are no more circumcised than the uncircumcised (Gentiles). And if an uncircumcised man keeps the commands of the Law, will not his uncircumcised state count as circumcision?...Being a Jew is not only having a outward appearance of a Jew circumcision is not only a physical operation. The real Jew is the one who is inwardly a Jew real circumcision is in the heart, a thing not of the letter but of the spirit. He may not be praised by any human being, but he will be praised by God.

NJB Romans 2:25-26 & 28-29

Paul, in one of his boldest statements confirming the unity of Israel and the Church, informed the Jews at Rome that circumcision was primarily an issue of the inward man not the outward man. For Jews, the rite of circumcision was the sign that you were part of the chosen people. It was the defining characteristic of the person that was in a covenant relationship with God. It held special significance to them. Paul's statement was heretical to unbelieving Jews. He said that the Jew who kept breaking the Law became as a Gentile in God's eyes. Even more staggering was his statement that the Gentile who kept the Law was, in the eyes of God, counted as one who was circumcised. He was counted as an Israelite!

This was an astonishing statement. Circumcision was a commandment. Every male born in Israel had to be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth. Likewise, every stranger that wished to join himself to the people of Israel had to be circumcised. Paul was saying that it was possible to keep the Law without keeping the Law! It was possible to be circumcised without being circumcised.

Moreover, he said true Jewishness and true circumcision were not issues of the old creation (ie., outward and physical). Rather, they are issues of the new creation. The true Jew is the one who is a Jew inwardly. He walks by faith and obeys God. He answers the call to the priesthood by pursuing righteousness.

Being part of the chosen people has to do with our relationship to God, not merely our relationship to biological Jewish ancestors. In the same way, true circumcision is inward. It is an issue of the heart, not the anatomy. Circumcision has to do with obedience from a heart that loves and trusts God (Deut. 30:6). It pertains to worshiping God in the Spirit and having no confidence in the flesh.

"We are the circumcision," said brother Paul to non-Jewish Philippian believers (Phil. 3:2-3). We are the chosen people; we are the people of God; we are the seed of Abraham and heirs according to the promise. Why are we the chosen people? Are we the chosen people because the Jews are no longer the chosen people? Have we now replaced them? God forbid! We are now the chosen people because we have become part of God's original chosen people through faith in their Messiah. This is the only reason we can call ourselves the chosen people. This is what Paul is talking about when he says that Jew and Gentile have been made one through the Cross. We are both the chosen people.

For he is our peace, who hath made both one hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

Now therefore ye (Gentiles, who were afar off) are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building (Jew and Gentile) fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

Ephesians 2:14‑22

In Christ we are made one new man. Notice Paul did not say we are being made new men (plural), but a new man (singular). That "new man" is the body of Messiah, the corporate expression of the Son of God. Jew and Gentile are made one by being made new. The Father is forming a body for Messiah and a temple for Himself, where His Presence can settle and dwell forever. The stones of that temple, the members of that body, are destined to be of one heart and mind. They are destined to fulfill the same destiny, regardless of their biological lineage.

This will take some work because neither believing Jews nor believing Gentiles understand what God is doing and both hold religious prejudices against one another. Nevertheless, the Scriptural goal for the body of Christ, as taught in the book of Ephesians, is unity and fullness. Unity of faith and knowledge of the Son the fulness of the stature of the measure of Christ (Eph. 4:11-15).

We are being brought to a perfect man, the corporate body of Messiah. That body comprises individuals who have been made new creations in Christ. It is made up of individuals who have learned to walk in the Spirit as opposed to living in the flesh. It is made up of individuals who are allowing Christ to be "formed" in them (Gal. 4:19). It is made up of individuals who are being "changed" from glory to glory, into the image of Jesus Christ (II. Cor. 3:18). Will God exclude His faithful Hebrew saints from the formation of His temple simply because they belong to the Jewish nation, or because they have lived in past dispensations? Hardly! The Scripture says both they and we share the same hope! The writer of Hebrews said they without us could not be made perfect (Heb. 11:40) Paul said we shall not precede them when the Lord returns (I. Thess. 4:15).

Nothing but arrogant religious pride would say that Abraham (the father of the faith!) and the Hebrew saints will not be part of the body of Christ simply because they are Jewish, or because they are not living in our dispensation. If we and they are part of the same body, the same people of God, why do we insist that this body is to be forever divided up between biological Jewish and Gentile camps?

It is a sad fact that neither Jewish nor Gentile believers fully understand this simple truth. Both have accepted the idea that the seed of Abraham is destined to be divided eternally along old creation racial lines. Of course, theologically everyone agrees that Jew and Gentile are made one in Christ. But in the real world we remain separated. If there is any doubt that we are divided, go into any church on Sunday morning and count the number of Jewish believers in attendance. If there are any, there will only be a few. The rest are down the street in their own Messianic Jewish Synagogues, which meet on Saturdays, not Sundays. How many Jewish believers do you know? How many do you fellowship with?

In I. Corinthians 1:13 the apostle Paul asks a very penetrating question: "is Christ divided?" The answer is, no! There is only one body of Christ (Eph. 4:4), only one holy calling, only one holy nation, only one hope in Messiah Jesus. There is only one temple of God, one elect and one chosen people. There is only one inheritance of the saints, one Kingdom of God, one good olive tree, one children of promise, one seed of Abraham and one new man!

God will have a people who are truly one. He will have a corporate body of believers who will fulfill the destiny purposed for Abraham and his seed. This seed will be God’s temple, His treasure, His inheritance. Through them He will guide the nations of the earth, ages without end. If you have been joined to the Messiah through faith, then you have been called to be a part of that holy seed.

The Lord has used every possible illustration to show we did not replace, but have become part of, what He has been forming since the days of Abraham. He said that we are chosen, a Royal Priesthood and a spiritual house, called to offer spiritual sacrifices. He said we are no longer strangers to Israel, but are now the people of God and part of the household of God. We have been brought near (to Israel) by the blood of Jesus, being made part of the same body and commonwealth.

We are the circumcision, the children of Abraham, the seed of Abraham and the children of promise. We have been made partakers of the promises (made to Abraham). We have been grafted onto the good olive tree and share the destiny and inheritance of that tree. We have been united to every Jew, every Israelite, every Hebrew, who has ever walked or will ever walk by faith.

It is a tragic irony that millions of non-Jewish believers have allowed the lies of Dispensationalism to cut them off from their spiritual Hebraic heritage and destiny!

Text Box: PART TWO

The Perversion Of The
“First Principles” Of Redemption By Dispensationalism

Sanctification And Justification

Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms of laying on of hands of resurrection of the dead of eternal judgment. And this will we do, if God permit.

Hebrews 6:1-3

The division of the Church and Israel has produced a great mixture of truth and error in contemporary Christian Theology. This mixture has concealed and hidden the purpose of salvation from most of us. It has concealed what God is and has been doing since the days of Abraham.

The writer of Hebrews admonished us to "leave" behind the basic principles of the doctrine of Christ and go on unto perfection. When he says to leave the basic principles of Christ he is not asking us to forget them or deny them. He is saying that having been fully established in them, we should then move deeper into the purposes for which God saved us in the first place.

When we go to school we learn the "first principles" of mathematics. The purpose for learning addition, subtraction, division, multiplication, etc., is so that later these skills can be utilized in the affairs of life. While in school, they are the focus of our attention. But once we graduate, our focus turns to the concerns of adult life. Though we still use the skills we have learned, they are no longer the focus of our attention.

This is what the writer is talking about. He is saying that as we grow up in Christ, as we press on toward spiritual maturity, the first principles of Christianity will be there for God to utilize in our lives. They will be there to keep us grounded in truth. However, they are not to remain the central focus of our lives, for if they do we will never grow or mature spiritually.

In our day we have two very serious problems. First, God's people are not going on to perfection. Indeed, the focus of most believers remains on the basic principles of the faith. Our lives perpetually revolve around the foundational doctrines of the New Testament. This keeps us in a constant state of spiritual immaturity. But as bad as this is we face an even greater crisis, for the first principles of Christianity are being corrupted by Dispensationalism. The resulting situation is that many of us are choosing to focus our attention on that which is being perverted! Not only are we not going forward in God's purposes, we are actually going backward.

While a person does not have to be a theologian in order to be saved, the unpleasant reality is that we live in a time of rampant religious deception. We as Christians need to stop looking at all the religious confusion "out there" in the world. Our problem is not the cults and the new agers. The error that affects us is not the error that comes from outside the churches but the false doctrines the churches themselves are teaching.

It is incredible that so many of us go through life assuming Satan is confined to working his deception out there in the world. Have we never read the Scripture? Most of the New Testament addresses the activity of Satan inside the various churches of the first century. The book of Romans addresses both the legalism of the believing Jews and the antinomianism of believing Gentiles, which was causing confusion in that assembly. First and Second Corinthians deal with false apostles in the Church. Galatians deals with more legalism brought into that church by other Judaizers, which was wrecking havoc in the fellowship.

Second Thessalonians addresses false teachers who were teaching people in that church that the Day of the Lord was at hand. Second Peter deals with false teachers who had come into the Church promoting false liberty. The liberty they were encouraging was the liberty to sin. Second and Third John deal with the spirit of Antichrist that was already at work in the churches. The book of Jude is a direct attack against those who had come into the fellowship and were "turning the grace of God into lasciviousness (sin)." He, like Peter, reminded them of what God did to the angels, to Sodom and Gomorrah, to Cain, Balaam, Korah and the people of Israel that had sinned.

Satan is no joke! He's not a funny little character in a red suit, carrying a pitch-fork. He is a fallen cherub, one of the most powerful beings in the universe. He is a master deceiver who knows the Scripture better than we do. He comes to us as an angel of light, masquerading as a minister of righteousness, quoting the Word of God freely. He can deceive an entire church if the believers are not diligent. Too many Christians view him as a lion that has no teeth or claws. But Paul did not view him this way.

But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him...For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

I. Corinthians 11:3,4,13-15

Satan's attack against the Church is not confined to an external, frontal assault. His main activity is covert. He tries to infiltrate the Church and deceive it from within. Paul was afraid for the believers at Corinth. He was afraid they would be duped into receiving another Jesus, another Spirit, or another gospel.

How could Satan achieve this? By sending false apostles and teachers into the Church with a false gospel, accompanied by a false anointing. These men will preach Jesus but it is not the Jesus of Scripture. They will preach a gospel that sounds similar to the true gospel but it will be a counterfeit. They will move under an anointing that passes as the Spirit of God but is really another spirit.

Paul was afraid that the enemy would overcome the Corinthians by moving through ministries who were themselves deceived. Satan goes for the leadership first, for he knows if he can deceive the religious leaders, most of the laity will blindly follow them into the same ditch. Do we suppose things have gotten better since Paul’s day? In reality they have gotten many times worse. Deception is everywhere.

As it was in the first century, the deception we face today is theological in nature. The basic doctrines (first principles) of Christianity—such as salvation by faith, imputed righteousness, sanctification, justification, grace the security of the believer—have all been distorted and perverted by Dispensationalism. We think we know what salvation is all about but the fact is, many of us really don’t understand it at all. Indeed, many of us need to be "taught again" the first principles of Christ.

The Scripture says that the saints of all ages have been justified "by faith." Before the Law was given, Abraham was justified by faith. During the Law, God's people were justified by faith. After the Law (under the New Covenant), we are justified by faith. The same thing is true of forgiveness and imputed righteousness. Before the Law was given, Abraham received forgiveness and imputed righteousness. Likewise, during and after the Law, God's people have received forgiveness and the imputed righteousness of Jesus by faith.

What shall we say then that Abraham (before the Law) our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

Even as David (during the Law) also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven whose sins are covered. And he (Abraham) received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed to them also.

Romans 4:1-7 & 11

Paul emphasized this truth when making his argument against trying to be justified "by works." There was never a time when people could be justified by anything other than faith. It was never possible to earn justification, forgiveness or imputed righteousness through obedience to any law or commandment, either in the Old or the New Testament. The Law of Moses was not given as a means of justification. Justification and forgiveness have always come by faith.

This is extremely important, for Dispensational Theology says that forgiveness, justification and imputed righteousness are the central issues of our redemption. According to it, this is what being saved is all about. But if forgiveness, justification and imputed righteousness are what salvation is all about if they have always been available by faith, then why was it necessary to establish a "new" covenant?

Because forgiveness, justification and imputed righteousness are not the central issues of salvation. They are absolutely necessary for our salvation, for they are the foundation of redemption, but they do not constitute the totality of it. The central issue of redemption under both covenants is sanctification, not forgiveness, justification or imputed righteousness.

Sanctification comes from a Greek verb which means, to sanctify something. To sanctify something is to set it apart for God's use. Thus, it is considered holy or sacred. The term is used various ways in Scripture, most often with either objects or people which have been consecrated to God's use. Concerning those individuals who have been consecrated, there are two distinct aspects of sanctification: (A) separation to God and (B) the course of life befitting those who have been separated; that is, separation from sin. Separation to God and separation from sin are absolutely necessary if we are to be truly sanctified by God. Again, both aspects can be seen in God's dealings with the Hebrews.

Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you.

Exodus 31:13

For I am the Lord your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

Leviticus 11:44

Sanctify yourselves therefore be ye holy: for I am the Lord your God. And ye shall keep my statutes do them: I am the Lord which doeth sanctify you.

Leviticus 20:7-8

The act of sanctifying something or someone for God's use has nothing to do with the present moral condition of the thing or person. To be set aside has to do with God's choice. It has to do with our association with God. The fact that God has chosen to set someone or something aside for His use does not necessarily mean that the object or person possesses a holy character in and of itself. To be set aside is to be sanctified.

In this sense every Christian has already been sanctified. Yet this does not necessarily mean that every Christian has sanctified himself. Just because we have be chosen and set aside does not mean that we are exhibiting righteous behavior or living a holy lifestyle.

It is this second aspect of sanctification that God is primarily concerned with—and Satan too. Satan is anxious that we neglect it because in order to fulfill the purpose for which we were set aside in the first place, we must sanctify ourselves. We must separate ourselves from every desire, every relationship, every habit, every mind-set, every demon spirit any material possession that God declares evil. The person who refuses to do this (ie., sanctify himself) will eventually frustrate his call and his preordained destiny.

God sanctified the Hebrew people by choosing them and separating them unto His divine purposes. But they were responsible to then sanctify themselves by obeying His statutes. The story of Israel is the story of what happens to a people who have been sanctified but who refuse to sanctify themselves. Though a minority of the people did walk in faith and fulfill their call, the majority did not, thus annulling the purpose for which they were called. Instead of being a light to the surrounding nations, they blasphemed the name of God wherever they went.

It is this second aspect of sanctification that is God's will for the New Testament Christian (I. Thess. 4:3) it is the primary reason God saved us in the first place (vrs. 7). It can never be imputed to us, for it must be learned (vrs. 4) and pursued (I Tim. 2:15; Heb. 12:14). It is not a legal state but an individual possession which is acquired over time, little by little, as a result of obedience to the Spirit, the Word the example of Jesus (Matt. 11:29; John 13:15; Eph. 4:20; Phil. 2:5). It is not gained by self-will or self-effort, but through the power of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:13; Eph.3:16). However, we are responsible to yield and submit to that power that is working in us.

Both the Old and New Covenants were designed to produce sanctification (righteousness and godly behavior). The difference between the two covenants lies in the level or kind of righteousness each was designed to bring forth in the individual. The Old Covenant only dealt with what the New Testament calls our "old man" (Rom. 6:6; Eph. 4:22; Col. 3:9). That is, it only dealt with our original Adamic nature, for until Messiah made atonement for sin there was no such thing as a new man.

Before the establishment of the New Covenant there was only one man—the old man. Until the resurrection of Jesus man was stuck with his original, fallen Adamic nature. God had no choice but to work within the framework of that first nature. The Law of Moses was designed to produce a level of righteousness which the old man could bring forth. It was not the actual character of God. It was only a human representation of that character.

The different levels of sanctification produced by the two covenants has to do with our experience, not our position in Christ. It has to do with what we can demonstrate. Old Testament saints received the same forgiveness and imputed righteousness we do. However, they could not experience and demonstrate the righteousness that was imputed to them. Though God's nature was reckoned to them by faith, they were unable to manifest it. They could only experience and manifest human righteousness. The Adamic nature will never be able to bring forth the actual character and nature of God. When God said "be holy, for I am holy" (Lev.19:2), He was not demanding that they be as holy as He Himself is. This was not possible for them to do. Rather, He was telling them to walk in the level of righteousness that He had designed for them, that which was explained by the Law, that which the Adamic nature could bring forth.

God wants His people to possess and experience His holiness. He does not want us to go through eternity only having the imputed righteousness of Jesus. As wonderful as this is, we must realize that whatever is imputed to us is not really ours by experience; it is only ours legally. God wants us to be able to experience what we have by divine legal right. Under the Old Covenant this was not possible. That is why a "new" and "better" covenant had to be established. The New Covenant is designed to bring forth in us the very character and nature of Almighty God!

Here is where contemporary Evangelical (Dispensational) theology falls flat on its face. We have been taught that it was not possible to keep the Law, that it was not possible to bring forth the righteousness the Torah was designed to produce. The basic assumption is that if the person had actually succeeded in keeping the Law, that obedience would have justified him and made Jesus' sacrifice unnecessary. Since the Bible states plainly that it is not possible to be justified by works, we assume that it was likewise, not possible to keep the Law.

Preachers wax eloquent on the futility of trying to earn God's salvation by keeping the Law. The Law is cast in a negative light, being associated closely with legalism, self-righteousness in general, man's attempt to save himself rather than submit to the Cross. But the Law was never intended to be a vehicle of justification! It was intended to be the means of sanctification—two totally different operations.

Of course, it is true that some (not all) Jews confused the two and ended up trying to be justified by obedience. But this was never God's intention. God asked them to keep the Law so they would be sanctified. It was not wrong for them to strive to obey the Torah. It was only wrong to assume that such obedience could justify them.

Those who are under the influence of Dispensationalism never seem to question the illogical and unreasonable conclusions this theology demands. If God gave the Law of Moses to Israel as a means of justification, knowing in advance that no person would ever actually be able to obey it, then why did He punish Israel for not obeying it? Did He punish them because they failed to save themselves by their own works?

The idea that the Law was a vehicle of justification—or even a theoretical vehicle of justification—is absurd. Yet this is exactly what Dispensationalism teaches, sometimes implicitly, sometimes explicitly. It definitely teaches implicitly that under the first covenant there were two ways to obtain salvation (at least theoretically). One way was by "keeping the Law"—which supposedly no one could ever do. The other avenue was "by faith." Saying it was possible to be justified by keeping the Law, or even that it was theoretically possible to do so, is worse than absurd because it imputes unrighteousness to the Lord. It casts Him in the role of an unjust tyrant who played a cruel joke on His own people.

God gave Israel the Law and commanded them to obey it. He said if they obeyed it He would bless them, but if they disobeyed it He would curse them—all the time knowing that no one could possibly obey it. Since it was really impossible to obey it in the first place, no one did. So God punished them for failing to obey something that was impossible to obey in the first place! What a twisted image of God's justice such ideas portray.

It was possible to obey the Law. The Bible says people did obey it (Ps. 119:55). In addition, the whole sacrificial system was designed to provide forgiveness when a person did transgress the commandment (Lev. 16:21-30). This means that even if a person did break the Law, as long as he repented in his heart and brought the appropriate sacrificial offering, he was still keeping the Law because he was keeping the sacrificial portion of the Law. He was doing what God had commanded.

If it was possible to keep the Law then why couldn't that obedience justify the person? Because in order to stand justified before God Almighty, a person has to possess the same kind of holy and righteous nature that He possesses. He has to be as holy as God Himself. Obedience to the Law, even perfect obedience, could not change man's basic problem, which is that he possesses only one nature—a nature that is contaminated by sin, a nature that is fallen. No matter how well it behaves, no matter what it does, it will never, by its own religious efforts, be as holy as God.

God never intended to justify His people through their obedience. He used their obedience to sanctify them. When He said be ye holy He meant be ye sanctified. The way to be ye sanctified was to obey ye the Law. Under the Old Covenant, the saints were justified by faith and sanctified by obedience to God. That is, to His Law and the guidance of His priests and prophets. The Law and the Prophets explained and defined what sin was, not in order to condemn everyone to hell but to show the people how to sanctify themselves.

Under the New Covenant, the saints are also justified by faith and sanctified by obedience to God; that is, to Him personally. This is why the Holy Spirit is sent into the lives of the saints. He is our Torah. He is our Law. He is our Priest and Prophet. His task is to show us what God says is sin. He does this so we can sanctify ourselves.

Most of us do not realize the critical role the Holy Spirit plays in our lives. His task is to purify the Church. He is more than a comforter, more than a good feeling. He is sent by the Father to lead us (Rom. 8:14) and teach us (John 14:26) and guide us into all truth (John 16:13); not only doctrinal truth but transforming truth. His purpose is to change us and transform us into the image of Jesus Christ through the process of sanctification (II. Thess. 2:13; I. Pet. 1:2). Sanctification is accomplished as we allow the Spirit to convict us of the sins we currently practice (John 1:9), so that He can then deliver us from that sin. This takes serious obedience on our part for the Spirit never forces His will on anyone. As we obey the Spirit He cleanses us and frees us from the bondage of sin, not only legally, but in experience as well.

Under the Old Covenant, the people of God could be delivered from the penalty of sin but they could not be delivered from the power of sin. The reason is because the power of sin resides in the fallen, Adamic nature. That is why, even though justification, forgiveness and imputed righteousness were available to all who walked by faith under the first covenant, God still had to institute another better covenant. Under this New Covenant a new experience, referred to as the "born-again" experience, becomes available to us. As a result, we receive power over the sin nature.

God is doing much the same thing with New Testament believers as He did with Old Testament believers but on a deeper level. He has sanctified us by calling us and setting us apart as His people. He has given us His Spirit, His Word and the example of His Son, so we, like the ancient Hebrews, can sanctify ourselves and fulfill our call as a light to the nations. The only difference between us and them is that our light (righteousness) can be the very light of God Himself. The Hebrew's light was only a dim (human) representation of that light.

Sanctification is critical because it and it alone produces light. Light is not what we say. Talk is cheap, extremely cheap. Light is what we do. God is not content that we spend our lives talking about light. He wants to make us light. As we become light we will discover that people who would never listen to what we say about God, many times will be affected by how we live in spite of themselves.

Satan knows better than we do just how important sanctification is to fulfilling our destiny. He also knows that obedience is the key factor in sanctification. Without full obedience we will never be sanctified (in experience). Therefore, it has been his plan from the beginning of time to convince man that obedience is not important. He convinced Eve of it, he convinced Old Testament Israel of it he has convinced the New Testament Church of it as well.

Every false concept and teaching of Dispensationalism is geared to produce one thing: disobedience. It does not cause us to deny the faith or reject the Savior. Rather, it instills a false sense of security in our minds by teaching us that while it is good to obey God and even profitable, it is not absolutely necessary to obey Him.

Consequently, many are going to wake up one day and realize too late that they made the same tragic mistake Israel did. After being called, chosen and set apart by God, after being brought into a covenant relationship with Him, after being given the Spirit who has the power to free them from sin, they allowed themselves to be deceived and refused to sanctify themselves. They will realize that they came under the influence of another spirit. They will realize that they believed another gospel which caused them to follow another Jesus thus forfeited their call and destiny as the "chosen people."

Dispensational Antinomianism

Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but (only) he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 7:21

Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.

Hebrews 5:8-9

Of the many false teachings of Dispensationalism, possibly it's most destructive feature also happens to be the most subtle component of the whole system: "antinomianism." Antinomianism is a Greek term which comes from two Greek words; "anti"(against) and "nomos" (law). It is the teaching that "grace" makes Christians free from Law. In other words, we can break God's Law and never be forced to pay the penalty because those who are free from the Law are also free from the consequences of disobeying that Law.

Antinomianism is associated historically with a man named Johann Agricola, who was a student of Martin Luther. Agricola took some of Luther's unguarded statements concerning the Law to extremes. It was during a religious debate with Agricola that Luther coined the phrase "antinomian." From that time on Luther took great pains to stress the vital relationship between justification and sanctification.

Though it has been associated with Agricola historically, antinomianism has been around since the Garden. The first human to be deceived by it was Eve. She believed the serpent when he told her she could disobey God without suffering the consequences. False security is the most appealing element of antinomianism. It is an extremely effective avenue of deception, for six thousand years later, Satan is feeding us that same exact lie and we are still swallowing it!

The early Church was plagued by antinomianism. Much of the book of Romans indeed much of Paul's writings in general, were devoted to this issue. Paul spent most of his ministry fighting the duel deceptions of Jewish legalism and Gentile antinomianism—both of which flourish when we are ignorant of the purposes and the proper relationship between the Old and New Covenants.

Jewish believers were caught up in legalism, so Paul kept reminding them that they were not justified "by works" (obeying the Law) but by faith in the atonement (Rom. 3:20,24). Gentile believers were never under the Law, so they did not understand the arguments Paul used to persuade his fellow Jews. They drew erroneous conclusions from his statements against trying to be justified by works. He had to remind them that genuine faith is more that mere mental assent to truth. Faith produces a change in behavior (Gal. 5:16-26). He had to warn them not to assume that being under grace provides an excuse to continue in sin (Rom. 6:1,15)

Much the same thing happened to Martin Luther. He attacked the legalism of the State (Catholic) Church, which taught that salvation came through the Mass and the performance of rituals, sacraments, penances and indulgences. Luther was battling the legalism that had held the entire civilized world in its grip for a over a thousand years. Naturally, just like Paul did at times, He stressed heavily that salvation is by "faith alone."

However, when he said salvation was by faith alone he did not mean that obedience to God and righteous living were no longer necessary. What he meant was that salvation was through faith, apart from the need to perform any of the Romish rituals and sacraments, which was nothing but religious legalism.

Just as in Paul’s day, certain people drew from his statements erroneous conclusions and started teaching that if we are saved "by grace" we are no longer under any obligation to obey the commandments of God. What this boils down to is that salvation is an act which is independent of our subsequent behavior. Once saved, our future behavior, no matter how vile, will never affect our "security."

The message of the modern-day antinomian is essentially the same as it was 1900 years ago, with one exception. It has been distilled and broken down into easily understood concepts and terms which are so simple and logical they literally grasp the mind of the hearer. For example, you didn’t save yourself, God saved you. You were not saved by what you did (religious works or keeping a moral code), but as a result of believing and accepting what Jesus did for you on the Cross.

If you were not capable of saving yourself by being good, how then could you ever possibly keep yourself saved by being good? It is God who must keep us saved just as it was He who had to save us in the first place. We are saved and kept secure solely on the basis of believing what Jesus did for us. This is what Paul taught, right?

If so, how are we to understand Matthew 7:21, Hebrews 5:8-9 others like them which state salvation is based on obedience? What shall we do with the scriptures which teach clearly that eternal life is the result of individual effort (Gal. 6:8; Phil. 2:12; I. Tim. 6:12,19)? Which is it? Are we saved and kept secure by what we believe or by what we do?

What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith have not works? Can faith save him? (The implied answer is no)...Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone...Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works by works was faith made perfect?.. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified not by faith only...For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

James 2:14,17,19-22,24,26

Men have been fighting for centuries over the definition of "works." Since the Law of Moses was still a predominate force in the Early Church, works were defined within the framework of the Law. The Jewish legalists that Paul fought continually, thought that obedience to the Torah was the evidence of true faith. The supreme issue facing Jewish believers then was, which portion of the Torah had to obeyed in order to remain a Christian? The legalists said they had to obey all of it. The antinomians said they did not have to obey any of it.

Today the issue is no longer obedience to the Law but the necessity of obedience period. Is obedience to anything (including Jesus Himself) mandatory in order to remain a Christian? The belief that a person must obey something—anything—in order to remain in Christ is a concept that modern antinomians not only reject but militantly oppose.

Why? Because they deduce that if a person can do something to ruin his salvation after coming to Christ, then his salvation was not truly based on grace. It was based on the works or effort of the individual. If sinful behavior can annul our redemption, if disobedience can get us cut out of the Vine, then salvation is not an "unmerited" gift but a reward for our performance.

Can a person accept Jesus as his personal Savior but refuse Him as his personal Lord and still be saved? Can we believe in Jesus and accept His atonement, yet refuse to obey Him faithfully and remain eternally secure? Can an individual say he is a believer, yet continue in sin the rest of his life still inherit the Kingdom of God? Can a Christian sow sin and reap eternal life? The number of popular Christian leaders who would answer yes to these questions is staggering!

It may be that there are some individual scholars who reject the idea that a Christian can live any way he chooses and still inherit eternal life, but the theological system of interpretation which dominates most seminaries, Bible colleges and churches promotes exactly such a position. It is already the majority view in the West.

Charles Ryrie, editor of the Ryrie Study Bible, noted the critical nature of just this issue on page 170 of his book, "Balancing The Christian Life:"

"The importance of this question cannot be overestimated in relation to both salvation and sanctification. The message of faith only and the message of faith plus commitment of life cannot both be the gospel; therefore, one of them is false and comes under the curse of perverting the gospel or preaching another gospel."

(Emphasis mine)

Unfortunately, brother Ryrie believes that "faith plus commitment of life" is the false gospel. But commitment of life is the product of genuine faith! Antinomians speak as if commitment, obedience, transformation good works are all external additions to faith which, when viewed as absolutely necessary to salvation turns simple faith into faith plus works.

The truth is, these things are an indivisible part of faith. They are the natural outcome of faith. They come in the same package! Where these are lacking, true faith is lacking. This is why James said that faith without works is dead. Antinomians say faith should have works, but if it doesn’t it really makes no difference, it is still very much alive.

Antinomians wrongly define the necessity of obedience as legalism (performance). Once we accept the idea that obedience equals legalism, deception will automatically follow. For the Scripture states very clearly that a person can neither receive or retain salvation as a result of performance.

Herein lies the fatal error of antinomianism. For although obedience can be legalism, it is not necessarily legalism. Obedience can just as easily be the fruit of true faith. The thing that determines whether a person's obedience is fruit or legalism is: (1) the condition of their heart (2) what it is they are obeying.

Obedience to rituals and traditions of the organized churches, or any religious system for that matter, does not equal obedience to God. But obedience which comes as a response to the moving and working of God's Spirit in our lives is fruit and the work that proves our faith is genuine. Moreover, obedience perfects faith!

The reason most Christians are not aware that they are under the influence of antinomianism is because those who teach it have been deceived themselves. Antinomianism has been mixed with the true gospel. Many Dispensational preachers and scholars are not even aware of this mixture themselves. In fact, when confronted with the necessary and logical outcome of their unscriptural theology, they strongly deny that the result is, in fact, antinomianism. However, denying the facts can never change them! Antinomianism may not always be taught explicitly but it is always taught implicitly.

The issue is not what should we do but what must we do once we have come to Christ. Everyone agrees that Christians should live like Christians, but what if we don't? No one suggests that we should continue to practice sin once we are saved, but what if we do? If our profession of faith has produced no fruit, no change of behavior, no works, will it still keep us in Christ? Those who answer yes have been deceived by antinomianism.

Most Christians would agree that a changed life can and does provide assurance that a person is saved. But few would concede that the lack of a changed life is proof that one is not a genuine Christian. This is because we have been taught that we can have justification and forgiveness without sanctification, that we can have faith without works.

The faith of antinomianism is not genuine biblical faith. It is a faith that has been emptied of its fundamental essence, which is obedience to God. What is left is the shell of mental assent. All that is mandatory is that a person "believe" the spiritual realities and historical facts of the Scripture. If we do this we assume we possess genuine faith. When someone suggests that believing and accepting is not enough, that there must be some kind of manifest evidence that the belief is genuine, antinomians claim the person is guilty of "adding works to grace."

Far from adding works to grace, the person who insists that true faith must have fruit is simply trying to reclaim that which antinomians have thrown away. He is trying to restore what they have declared unnecessary; namely, obedience—the core of biblical faith. In short, from the essential truth that no individual can earn or merit justification through good works (obedience), today's antinomians draw the conclusion that good works, commitment of life and obedience need not even accompany genuine faith. But the Scripture states that it is the presence or absence of these very things that determines whether a person's faith is alive (and able to save) or dead (and unable to save).

James said that works perfect faith. They are so vitally linked together we can actually say that we are "justified by works!" We are justified by works because works are part of genuine, biblical faith. Even more than this, works are the proof that the life of the Spirit dwells in us.

Martin Luther recognized the subtle poison in antinomianism. He taught his pupils that though salvation is by faith alone, faith is never alone. Wherever you find faith, you will also find commitment of life, works of obedience and a transformed character. In this sense then, works may be said to be a condition of salvation, in that they inevitably accompany legitimate, saving faith.

Antinomians confuse merit with responsibility. The Scripture says, "faith cometh by hearing hearing by the Word of God" (Rom. 10:17). That means it is God who makes the first move. The Lord makes faith available to every person He draws. If we choose to respond to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, He imparts the ability to actually believe. God speaks, we choose, He empowers, we experience faith.

This is why the man who brought his son to Jesus for healing cried out in desperation, "I believe; help thou my unbelief" (Mark 9:24). What sense does that statement make? How can a person believe and not believe something at the same time? The man was saying he had chosen to believe but did not have the ability to actually experience what he had chosen. He was asking the Lord to impart that ability. The choice to believe is our responsibility. The initial offer, as well as the power to experience what we have chosen, is God's responsibility.

The fact that the choice is our responsibility does not mean that we have earned, through self-effort and legalistic works, the chance to choose! We can do absolutely nothing to earn the opportunity God presents us. Nevertheless, we are totally responsible for the choice we make once the opportunity is presented. How we respond determines whether or not God will continue to bring us to salvation.

The same holds true after we have been justified, accepted and brought into the New Covenant. On the basis of what Jesus Christ did at calvary, God initiates a process which brings about commitment of life, which causes us to obey Jesus which begins transforming us into His image. However, we are responsible to respond and yield to that work which He is performing in us. God will not perform this work in us against our free will. How we respond determines whether or not God will keep us secure in Christ. If we do not respond, either we have never actually possessed true, genuine faith, or our else our faith has died.

Only the basis upon which salvation it is offered (Jesus' sacrifice) is unconditional. It is frightening that so many religious leaders are teaching unconditional salvation. Consider the Scofield Reference Bible, which has been the most popular Bible among believers for many years now which best demonstrates the fork-tongue of Dispensationalism. The editors, all of whom are distinguished religious leaders in this country, are listed in the preface of the Bible. They assure the reader that any changes in the notes which they have made are only minor, that the fundamental teachings of Scofield have been preserved, affirming strongly their allegiance to them. The note on Hebrews 8:8, which explains the difference between the many covenants found in Scripture, states that:

"The New Covenant, the last of the eight great covenants of Scripture, is (1) better than the Mosaic Covenant (Ex. 19:5 note), not morally but efficaciously (Heb. 7:19; cp. Rom. 8:3). It is established upon better (ie., unconditional) promises. It rests upon the sacrifice of Christ and secures the eternal blessedness, under the Abrahamic Covenant (Gal.3:13) of all who believe. It is absolutely unconditional and, since no responsibility is by it committed to man, it is final and irreversible."

Pages 1317-1318 (Emphasis mine)

Here in explicit terms Dr. Scofield is stating that salvation is totally unconditional. Moreover, it is irreversible. Yet, if we were to ask any Dispensational Bible teacher if they thought salvation was "absolutely unconditional" and "absolutely irreversible," probably a good number of them would say no. They teach Dispensationalism faithfully and defend it dogmatically but they refuse to admit the absurd conclusions it demands!

In a summary of the book of Galatians Dr. Scofield writes that those who teach that works (obedience to the Law of Moses) are necessary to salvation are guilty of teaching legalistic error.

"At the time Paul was writing, the Galatian churches were facing a double threat, involving purity of doctrine and purity of conduct. Certain individuals had come into the area who would pervert the gospel of Christ (1:7, 5:10). They insisted that, while salvation was of Christ, works were also necessary for salvation. To this Judaizing, ie., legalistic error, the Galatians were already beginning to yield (1:6, 3:1), thus returning to the bondage of observing days, months, years, times, etc, (4:10)."

Page 1264 (Emphasis mine)

Does the reader perceive any evidence of antinomianism in this explanation of the message of Galatians? The problem that faced the Galatian believers was not that Judaizers were saying that works were necessary for salvation. The problem was that they were defining works as obedience to the Torah. They were trying to lead the people back into the observance of "days, months, years times."

This was certainly wrong but it does not change the fact that obedience is necessary for salvation. The real question is, what kind of works are necessary? Must we obey the external rituals and regulations of the religious system? Not at all. Must we obey the letter of the Law? Absolutely not. Must we obey God? Positively!

This critical distinction is non-existent in Dispensationalism. In their zeal to keep people from mixing grace with Law, they have mixed grace with something much more fatal and have completely discarded the necessity of obedience in general. When we realize that without obedience we will never fulfill our call, the antinomianism which pervades Dispensationalism will be seen for the destructive evil it is.

Not only does Dispensational antinomianism blur the distinction between merit and responsibility, it makes us incapable of accepting the obvious meaning of many verses of Scripture which plainly state that a Christian can be cut off from God eternally.

Antinomian ministers teach (usually implicitly) that Christians can live any way they please and still remain saved because we are saved by unmerited favor (grace), not by how we live. Yet when Christians take this doctrine to its logical conclusion and live the way they please, when they end up falling away from the faith because of how they live, then these same ministers turn around and claim that they were never really saved in the first place—that’s why they fell away. You see, they only thought they were saved; they only appeared to be saved. Real Christians don't fall away. They persevere till the end.

In the last analysis, what is being preached all over this planet is this: we can be a Christian and lie, cheat, steal, back-bite and live just like the world, yet still be saved because we are saved by unmerited favor. We can be a Christian and make idols out of our jobs, our families, or our hobbies and pleasures, yet still be saved because we are saved by unmerited favor, not by how we live. There is only one thing we can’t do if we are a Christian. We can’t "fall away" from the faith. If we fall away from the faith, that proves that we were never really saved in the first place—real Christians don’t fall away.

Real Christians can drink and smoke and curse and lie and steal and live like a pagan, but as long as we maintain a profession of faith and attend a church regularly we are "saved by grace." However, if we should abandon our profession of faith (ie., stop believing in Jesus) and quit attending a church, well, this just goes to show that we were never really saved to begin with—we just thought we were.

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits doctrines of devils.

I. Timothy 4:1

"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly," said Paul, "in the latter times some shall depart from the faith." Why can’t we believe this simple statement? The Spirit spoke expressly about these events. He did not just hint or insinuate that some shall depart from the faith in the latter days, He made it crystal clear: some of God’s people shall depart from the faith in the last days. This simple truth needs to be repeated over and over again until Christians wake up and start living in the reality of what is happening all around them. The great majority of believers still are not convinced that it is possible for a Christian to actually depart from the faith. We still can’t get it through our head that is possible for a person who once knew God to end up cut off from Him for all eternity.

Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith. Grace be with you.

NIV I. Timothy 6:20‑21

And then shall many be offended shall betray one another shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Matthew 24:10‑13

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.

II Thessalonians 2:3

For the time will come when they (Christians) will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth shall be turned unto fables.

II. Timothy 4:3‑4

But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

II. Peter 2:1‑2

For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

II. Peter 2:20‑22

These are just a few of the many scriptures that teach we can depart from the faith. Not only does the Word say we can depart from the faith, it predicts that in the latter days some of us will depart from it. It tells us that some will depart from the faith because of deception, while others will wander from the faith through an ungodly quest for religious knowledge. Some will be offended because of persecution and others will have their love for God wax cold because of the abundance of iniquity around them. Some will turn from the truth to fables and heap to themselves ministers who are willing to feed them what they want, while others will be tricked into following false prophets.

Peter was very blunt. He said it is possible to have known the way of righteousness and escaped the pollution of the world by the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, yet turn back to our vomit (sin) like a dog and our mire (the world) like a pig. He says if we do so and are overcome in that state, our latter end will be worse than the beginning. In other words, it would be better to have never known God, than to have known Him and turned away from Him. For if you die in that state your eternal destiny will be worse than the guy who was never saved to begin with! Sobering words, are they not?

Dispensationalism’s militant rejection of Peter’s words not only reveals its arrogant denial of Scripture, it also shows that its conclusions are not even based in common sense. Can non-Christians really depart from the faith? Can unbelievers really wander off from the faith? Can sinners really be carried away from the faith? Such a view is a logical absurdity!

If those who are "departing from" the faith were never really saved, then neither were they really a part of the Christian faith! An individual who thinks he is a believer (but really isn’t) is not part of the faith—he only thinks he is. How then can he depart from something he was never really part of in the first place? Can you depart from a house you were never at or never entered? Can you depart from a city you never entered? Can you wander off a path you were never on? Can you fall from a position you were never in? Can you be carried away from a hope you never had?

Friends, it is not possible for a fake Christian to depart from an authentic faith! A fake Christian is not in the faith to begin with. To say that those who depart from the faith were never in the faith is a just as asinine as saying that we can live any way we please after we are saved because we are kept by grace. Truly, Dispensation Theology is producing a whole generation of believers whose view of redemption is manifestly illogical, flagrantly un-scriptural and extremely dangerous.

The Fruit Of Righteousness

Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but grievous; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness, to those who have been trained by it.

NKJV Hebrews 12:11

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23

There is a vast difference between imputed righteousness and actual righteousness. God can ascribe (impute) the righteousness of Jesus Christ to any person at any time. The fruit (deeds) of righteousness, however, must be worked in an individual's life. Producing fruit is a process, both in the natural and the spiritual realm. It is the result of change. A person can be very wicked, yet still receive forgiveness and the imputed righteousness of Jesus. But as long as that individual's character remains unchanged, his deeds will never change. Though he stands justified and forgiven, he will continue to produce the fruit of iniquity. Fruit is not what we believe. Fruit is what we do.

The Scripture talks very little about imputed righteousness, mostly in Romans, with a few verses scattered here and there throughout the Old and New Testaments. By far the emphasis is on actual righteous behavior and godly living. We have reversed the emphasis in our day, so that most preaching remains centered on forgiveness, imputed righteousness and justification. Godly lifestyles are encouraged, but they are not presented as being absolutely necessary to obtain eternal life.

The attitude is that we should live a holy life, but if we cannot (or will not) live such a life, it’s not that big a deal because "grace" will pick up the slack in the end. But when you realize that God's goal is to have His righteousness manifested through how we live, by what we do, the absurdity of making imputed righteousness—which is an invisible legal state—the focus of salvation is obvious. The purpose of the New Covenant has always been to bring God's own righteous character forth in the earth, through the lives of His people.

For Zion's sake I will not hold my peace for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. And the Gentiles (nations) shall see thy righteousness all the kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name which the mouth of the Lord shall name.

Isaiah 62:1-2

For as the earth brings forth its bud, As the garden causes things that are sown in it to spring forth, So the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all nations.

NKJV Isaiah 61:11

Why is God looking for actual, tangible, visible righteousness? First of all, because it brings Him glory: "Let your light (conduct) so shine before men that they will see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matt. 5:16). Second, because the fruit (manifestation) of righteousness destroys the kingdom of Satan. Imputed righteousness is invisible; no one can see it! Only manifested righteousness can dispel the works of darkness.

But the path (way, or conduct) of the just is as a shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

Proverbs 4:18

Also your people shall all be righteous; they shall inherit the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.

NKJV Isaiah 60:21

To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

Isaiah 61:3

And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

NKJV Philippians 1:9-11

The Spirit of God is creating trees (people) of righteousness that will produce fruits (deeds) of righteousness. Unlike imputed righteousness, the fruit of righteousness must be worked in our lives. It does not come automatically. It is a process that involves chastening and discipline, sometimes severe discipline. In other words, the thing that is nearest and dearest to God's heart—that His people possess and manifest His character before the nations—can only be accomplished by judgment. Only the chastening and correction of the Spirit of God can produce that fruit.

The Scripture says the Kingdom of God is (visible) righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost (Rom. 14:17). It says we must seek first that kingdom and that righteousness (Matt. 6:33). Finally, it says that we only enter that kingdom and righteousness through much tribulation (Acts 14:22). This means actual righteousness is not an invisible legal state. Rather, it is a possession that must be acquired it is acquired through tribulation.

It takes tribulation and chastening to convert or change us from self-centered creatures to God-centered creatures. It takes chastening to get self off the throne and let Jesus take control of our lives, our desires and our goals. It takes tribulation to make us get out of the driver's seat and let God steer our lives. God is looking for actual righteous behavior and that behavior can never be imputed, either now or later in heaven.

God is bringing forth righteousness in the earth and Satan is trying to destroy righteousness in the earth. Wickedness and unrighteousness extend and perpetuate Satan's kingdom on this planet, but righteousness and holiness destroy that kingdom. Since the Church is the "light" of the world and the only real threat to Satan's kingdom, he has focused his attack on the body of Christ by trying to destroy righteousness within the Church. If he can get God's people to be comfortable with sin, if he can get their focus off of being transformed into godly people, then he has succeeded in putting out the light.

While this may seem like a laughable tactic, the fact is, he has done so through theological deception. Bad doctrine produces bad experience. Christians live in absolute confusion regarding the difference between our position in Christ and possessing that position. We do not automatically experience what God has given us through Christ. Such experience only comes as a result of personal interaction with the Spirit as He cleanses and purifies our personality.

Obedience is the key to gaining our predestined inheritance. Satan cannot touch the finished work of the Cross. It defeated him. His days are numbered and he knows it. Neither can he touch our position in Christ, for this was accomplished for us by the atonement. The only area Satan has room to maneuver in is the gap between our position in Christ and the actual possession of that position. This gap is not closed by believing and receiving, or by a positive confession, or by knowing orthodox doctrine. It is closed by one thing alone: obedience. That is why the issue of obedience can never be over-stressed.

Since obedience is the key, Satan has always had only one battle tactic: to somehow get God's people to disobey Him. Disobedience short-circuits our experiencing what is legally ours. Under the Old Covenant the saints could not experience fully what was theirs legally. They could only manifest human righteous conduct as God enabled them. This is what God demanded of them and if they did so they gained their reward. They will possess their position and stand with us in the day of resurrection.

However, under the New Covenant we can experience what is legally ours. The New Covenant introduced two new elements of redemption: the new birth experience and the sanctification of the Holy Spirit—both of which give power over the sin nature.

Satan’s goal is to stop us from appropriating, walking in and manifesting the righteousness which has been imputed to our account through faith. The two theological avenues he uses to accomplish this are legalism and antinomianism. Those who are caught up in legalism cannot possess their position in Christ because they are too busy trying to establish their own righteousness (Rom. 10:3). This is what many of Paul’s brethren after the flesh were guilty of doing. They were attempting to become justified by obedience to the Law. God's righteousness can never be manifested through a person who is trying to establish his own righteousness.

Those who are caught up in antinomianism cannot possess their position because they think obedience to God is not really necessary. They will not submit to the strict discipline and (sometimes severe) judgment of God. They oppose the restraints of the Holy Spirit, restraints which are absolutely necessary in order to bring forth the fruit of righteousness, but which are regarded by them as "legalism."

Which deception characterizes the religious establishment of the last days? False security (Rev. 3:14-22). Jesus said the church of Laodicea said in their heart, "I am rich and increased with goods have need of nothing." This description will never fit groups like Christian Science, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Roman Catholics, or any of the so-called Christian religious movements and cults that have mushroomed in the last few decades. Neither could it be applied to those religious orders that are patently un-Christian, like the various Eastern Religions and the New Age Movement. All these systems are based on legalism.

It is Bible-believing Christians who are preaching false security. It is we who think we have it all "by grace." It is we who have rejected the need to submit to the restraints and chastisements of God. It is we who no longer view suffering as profitable it is we who have put absolute obedience to God at the bottom of our list of priorities. The thing that is producing the Laodicean Church today is the perversion of Paul's doctrine of grace, which is caused by the theological confusion of Dispensationalism. The day is fast approaching when the entire religious establishment will be spewed out of Christ's mouth. It will no longer be part of God! This is a sobering thought indeed. We should stop and check the condition of our faith. Is it a living faith? Is it producing righteous conduct and obedience to Christ?

If there's one thing Christians need today, it's a better understanding of what being "saved by grace" means. Grace is the greatest transforming power in the universe. But that very power, which should be changing us into God’s image, is being presented as the means by which we can avoid that transformation now, yet reap the fruit of transformation in the future. It is being presented as a magical legal process that will make it possible to sow sin today and reap eternal life tomorrow.

We are taught that grace is a legal position that provides us with a continual, unconditional pardon from sin which cannot be affected by how we live. Such a concept goes directly against the Scripture and is designed to produce careless, sinning Christians. God's grace has been ill-defined by our religious leaders. It does much more than justify and reconcile us to God. It also gives boldness (Rom. 15:15), imparts riches (Eph.2:7), gives power (I. Cor. 15:10), gives endurance (II. Cor. 12:9), gives strength (II. Tim. 2:1), teaches us how to live godly (Titus 2:11-12), inspires singing (Col. 3:16), gives the ability to preach (Eph. 3:8), gives seasoning to speech (Col. 4:6) overpowers sin (Rom. 5:20; Rom. 6:12-13).

Furthermore, any person may receive God’s grace in vain (II. Cor. 6:1), frustrate it in his own life (Gal. 2:21), fall from it (II. Pet. 3:17), fail of it (Heb. 12:15), turn it into sin (Jude 1:4), continue or discontinue in it (Acts 13:43), minister it to others (I Pet. 4:10) choose to grow or not grow in it (II. Pet 3:18).

The current concept of grace as an unconditional, continuing pardon of the believer assumes that the change from unrighteous to actual righteous behavior will take place in heaven, after we die. This emphasis on a future transformation in heaven invites a person to absorb himself now in the pleasures and duties of this life. He feels no sense of urgency to focus on the daily transforming work of the Spirit. Rather, his focus ends up on his career, family, social status and recreation. Holiness becomes a low priority in his life and Satan has succeeded in putting out his light, regardless of how much he may still talk about God!

The legal position God has provided for us is imputed righteousness and justification, neither of which are unconditional. The Scripture says if we walk in the light, then the blood of Jesus continues to cleanse us from all (unknown) sin. It says if we confess our (known) sins, then Jesus is faithful to forgive those sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I. John 1:7-8). What if we do not confess and turn from known sin? What happens if we refuse to obey or walk in the light God has given us? Will grace save us anyway? Salvation is conditional. The New Covenant contains many conditions. We read them, yet we simply refuse to believe that they mean what they say!

Every tree (person) that bringeth not forth good fruit (of righteousness) is hewn down cast into the fire....Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but (only) he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Matthew 7:19

Ye (the saints) are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out to be trodden under foot of men.

Matthew 5:13

And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

Matthew 10:22

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Romans 8:16-17

Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received wherein ye (currently) stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory (hold fast) what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

I. Corinthians 15:1-2

But fornication all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient (not fitting): but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

Ephesians 5:3-6

And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.

Colossians 1:21-23

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

Galatians 6:9

But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end... For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end.

Hebrews 3:6 & 14

Are all these contingencies meaningless? Will everything turn out fine in heaven if we faint now? If we do not suffer with Jesus today? If we bring forth bad fruit? Can we fornicate, covet and live in uncleanness and still inherit the Kingdom of God? Will we be rewarded if we do not do the will of the Father? If we do not endure to the end? Can we claim security after we have been moved away from the hope of the gospel or have lost our savour? These verses should instill a godly fear in us and motivate us to bring forth godly behavior but they don’t. The reason they don’t is because we are being taught the traditions of men and the doctrines of devils instead of the Scripture. God is looking for visible righteousness. This has been His plan from the very beginning and it continues to be His plan. The question is: are we part of what He is doing, or are we part of a dying religious system that will soon be vomited out of the Lord's mouth?

The New Covenant

If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the law was given to the people), why was there still need for another priest to come - one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron?

NIV Hebrews 7:11

But now He (Jesus) has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.

NKJV Hebrews 8:6

The New Covenant may have the dubious honor of being the subject most preached about yet the least understood. It seems that few really grasp its astounding message. The writer of Hebrews said the New Covenant is better than the Old Covenant because it is based on better promises. J.N. Darby and C.I. Scofield thought that what made the better promises "better" was that they are now unconditional. However, this is not what the writer was saying or implying. What he was saying is that the New Covenant is better because it is able to bring to perfection or completion God's goal for His people. If perfection could have been attained under the Old Covenant there would have been no reason to establish another (better) covenant. What kind of perfection is the writer referring to?

It is very important to keep in mind that forgiveness, justification and imputed righteousness have been available to God's people in every age. The reason this is important is because the New Covenant, the covenant of "grace," is being presented all over this planet as a covenant of forgiveness, justification and imputed righteousness. But these provisions have always been available to God's people by faith! There is nothing "new" about forgiveness, justification and imputed righteousness. They have been available since the day Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden.

Indeed, if it is true that the New Covenant is simply a covenant of forgiveness, justification and imputed righteousness if it is also true that what makes it new is that these provisions are now "unconditional," then faith is no longer necessary for salvation. For faith has always been the condition upon which justification has been based. What’s new about the New Covenant is that it provides power over sin. It provides deliverance from sin.

Under the Old Covenant God could only forgive sin. He could not impart the power to conquer sin. Why? Because sin goes deeper than just wrong deeds. Sin is more than what we do, it is what we are! We are all born with a sinful nature, a nature which has been thoroughly contaminated with rebellion and disobedience, a nature that is naturally disposed toward unrighteousness. We are all born with a nature that is drawn to sin and demon spirits like metal to a magnet.

God has been forgiving man's actions since the Garden of Eden. He has been justifying us and imputing His righteousness to our account since the original fall He could easily continue to do so for all eternity. Thank God for these provisions—but for them we would have nothing to look forward to but eternal torment.

Even so, as thankful as we are for them, we need more. We need a cure for our disease! Forgiveness, justification and imputed righteousness are not the cure because they do not provide actual deliverance from the power of sin. They only provide deliverance from the penalty of sin. This is why a "new" covenant had to be established, one that would enable us to overcome sin—all sin.

What mankind needs is a remedy for that which causes him to sin in the first place. As long as a person possesses only the original nature that he was born with—regardless of how good or bad a person he might be—he will never be delivered from the power of sin. The power of sin is part of us. The purpose of the New Covenant is to deliver us from Adam, from that fallen nature that causes us to misbehave in the first place.

The New covenant provides the only antidote for our sickness. That cure is the new birth (John 3:3-6). The born-again experience is actually the regeneration or re-creation of our spirit, which was dead in sin. It is a new nature within us. It is born of God and cannot be manipulated by demon spirits because it is sinless and incorruptible, created after the image of God and fashioned in righteousness. It will never sin because it cannot sin.

But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me I unto the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

Galatians 6:14-15

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

II. Corinthians 5:17

That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Ephesians 4:22-24

Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.

Colossians 3:9-10

Law (the Old Covenant) dealt only with the old man. It's function was to control the Adamic nature. It was designed to make Adam behave. Grace (the New Covenant) gives us another nature planted within our regenerated spirit. This is why Paul said we are not free to continue in sin as a result of being under grace (Rom. 6:6;14-15). Grace is not a legal position of unconditional, continual pardon of evil deeds based upon our profession of faith. It is the receiving of a new and holy disposition. It has to do with the new man, not with the Law or the old man.

Well then, if we have received a new nature which cannot sin, why do Christians continue to sin? Because we must learn how to yield to that new creation that has been born in us. We must learn how to abide in Christ. As we learn to abide we stop sinning.

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace...Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

Romans 6:12-14 & 16

Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him....Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

I. John 3:6 & 9

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Galatians 5:16

Sin has dominion over any person who tries to live under the Law because the Law pertained only to our old man and sin has dominion over the old man. Anytime we go back to Law we are going back into Adam. This is why Paul was continually fighting against the influence of the Judaizers. They were trying to bring people back under the Law, which brought them back into the Adamic nature, which is under the dominion of sin and the curse of God.

Once we are born-again we have a choice as to what we yield to. We can yield to sin (which causes spiritual death) or we can yield to righteousness (which results in eternal life). We no longer have to be a slave to the weaknesses of our old man. We no longer have to live in the flesh. We can learn to walk in the Spirit, thus overcoming the power of sin.

It is very important that we understand this truth for we are constantly being told that we still do not have a choice. The standard cliché is, "as long as we are human we will sin." What they are saying by this is that until we die and go to heaven sin will continue to have dominion over us. Once again, our theology totally contradicts the Word of God!

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Romans 8:2

Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin....If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

John 8:34 & 36

But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

Romans 6:17-18

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Galatians 5:1

Christians have been made free from the law of sin and death. We no longer have to sin! We no longer have to be a slave to Adam's weaknesses, lusts and sins. God has made a way of escape. He has given us the cure. The Scripture clearly states this truth. Any minister that teaches Christians they cannot overcome sin—all sin—has absolutely no idea what the New Covenant is about! Their religious education has profited them nothing.

God has made a way for us to overcome and be free from sin, but it doesn’t happen automatically and it’s not an imputed legal state. It must be experienced. Moreover, it is not easy. Possible, yes; easy, no! Why? Because we have an enemy who hates us and is obsessed with our destruction. What makes Satan so dangerous is that he knows exactly how to manipulate and intensify the sinful propensities and desires of our old man. He knows Adam's every weakness and he knows exactly how to use those weaknesses to destroy us.

Until we have learned to walk in the Spirit all the time, we must deal with our adversary. Until we have learned how to abide in Christ day and night, how to yield to the law of the Spirit of life 100% of the time, we still have to deal with an enemy who is even more determined to destroy us since we have been snatched out of his kingdom. This is why the Scripture talks about "warfare" and "armor" and "soldiers."

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Ephesians 6:11-12

Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

I. Timothy 6:12

Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

II. Timothy 2:3

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil he will flee from you.

James 4:7

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

I. Peter 5:8-9

It is heartbreaking to know that so many Christians are being taught that Satan can’t hurt them, that being "under the blood" automatically shields them from all spiritual harm. They have no idea the Bible teaches that Christianity is a "race" and a "war." It is not the means to a happy life in the flesh here on earth. We are in a contest and there is a prize to be won (Phi. 3:14). We are in a battle against a very capable and dangerous enemy who is trying to stop us from attaining that prize!

How can we win a race if we don't even realize we must run? How can we win a war if we don't even know we must fight? Surely more than a few Christians will miss the very purpose for which they were called and saved.

The New Covenant is a covenant of transformation. This change is not merely an insignificant by-product of being saved; it is salvation! The New Testament definition of salvation is not forgiveness of sin alone, but forgiveness and deliverance from sin. Not merely deliverance from the penalty of sin but deliverance from the power of sin. This deliverance is not a doctrine but a process. It requires the full co-operation of the believer.

God’s people are not being taught that the goal of the New Covenant (the gospel of grace) is to present every believer "perfect" to the Lord Jesus at His appearing. The Lord has a goal concerning us. That goal is that we be sanctified, purified and cleansed. That we be fully conformed to His image. That we be holy, without blemish, having no spot or wrinkle.

To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 1:27-28

And we all, with unveiled face, behold the glory of the Lord, are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another: for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

RSV II. Corinthians 3:18

For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed (changed) to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Romans 8:29

That he (Jesus) might sanctify and cleanse it (the church) with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy without blemish.

Ephesians 5:26-27

When the Scripture talks about presenting us faultless and perfect it is not referring to imputed faultlessness and perfection. Neither is it referring to imputed spotlessness. It is talking about real, tangible, actual, moral perfection and spotlessness. Jesus is coming back for a Church that will have been washed clean in experience and conduct. This cleansing is taking place now and is the purpose of the New Covenant.

Many preachers lament the fact that there is a widespread lack of purity and holiness within their congregations. Is it any wonder? We are not presenting them with the correct hope. We are not giving them a goal to strive for! We feed them a steady diet of "grace" and "rapture" and tell them as long as they are alive they have to sin. We teach them that moral perfection is not possible in this life, that forgiveness and imputed righteousness is what salvation is really all about. We teach them that grace makes no demands, that the goal of Christianity is to "make it" to heaven that our ticket to heaven is not based on what we do but on what we believe.

What a destructive mixture of traditions and half-truths to be feeding people! Jesus has given us power to overcome sin and He expects us to avail ourselves of that power. If we don’t, we may find ourselves weeping and gnashing our teeth one day. Those who are not allowing God to deliver them from sin, those who are not allowing God to change them from the image of Adam to the image of Christ, have not yet entered fully into the New Covenant.

Salvation

And ye know that he (Jesus) was manifested to take away our sins in him is no sin...He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifest, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

I. John 3:5,8

The Scripture declares that the Messiah was manifested to do two things: (1) take away our sin and (2) destroy the works of the Devil. We have been taught that the term "take away our sin" means that Jesus came to forgive and cover our sin automatically and unconditionally by grace. However, the context of the remainder of First John makes it clear that the term "take away" implies much more than merely having our sin covered. It has to do with overcoming the power of sin.

Jesus came to impart the strength to overcome sin. But this is not what Christians are taught. What we are taught is that as long as we are alive we have to sin because we are "only human"—which is the same as saying that until we die and go to heaven we have to sin. Supposedly, until we get to heaven Jesus’ blood will continually (and automatically) forgive and cover all our present (and future) sins. Therefore, we should not try to actually overcome the sins we currently practice. Instead, we should trust in God's forgiveness and grace.

This is the way it is put: "when God looks at us He does not see us, He sees only Jesus." Another cliché is, "when God looks at us He only sees the blood." What these cute little sayings mean is that Jesus' sacrifice did nothing more than provide God a legal means of continually overlooking our present and future sins. If such is really the case then why should I even try to live a holy life? Why bother to live like a Christian? Why not just do whatever I want? After all, God does not see what I do, He sees only Jesus!

When I fornicate, God only sees the purity of Jesus. When I lie, He sees only the truthfulness of Jesus. When I am unfaithful, the faithfulness of Christ alone is seen. When I am arrogant and proud, God sees only the gentleness and humility of His Son! When I am self-centered and use people to get what I want, God sees only the self-sacrifice of the Lamb. When I hate those who wrong me only the love of Jesus is seen. Is it any wonder so many Christians live like the Devil? Once again, bad doctrine produces bad experience!

Those who teach such folly will never understand the New Testament. They deny the victory of the Cross by declaring that the blood of Jesus can forgive and continually cover (overlook) our sin, but is unable to deliver us from it's power. Which vision of Jesus glorifies Him more? The one that says His blood only has the power to forgive sin, or the one that says it has the power to both forgive and deliver from sin?

John said that Jesus was manifested to destroy the works of the Devil. What did he mean? What works is he referring to? Do we not realize that the only way Satan can work is through people? He is a spirit; he has no physical body. Every work he accomplishes must be done through human hands and minds. Jesus came to destroy the works of the Devil in us! He came to enable us to stop Satan from working through us.

We must understand that redemption has to do with repairing the internal damage done to mankind by the original fall. It has nothing to do with changing our external environment; nothing to do with "going to heaven." Satan stole mankind from God. He conquered us and took us captive by installing his rebellious nature inside us. He infected our nature with the very same disease he has. God could have thrown him into the lake of fire the day Adam fell. What good would that have done us? The internal damage had already taken place. Our nature was now like the Serpent's nature. We now bore his image instead of God's image.

No external act of God can undo or repair that damage. Internal damage demands internal repair. Locking away the Serpent could not have helped us any more than locking away the carrier of a contagious illness can help those already infected. Those who have been infected need an antidote that will cure the disease. This is what redemption is all about.

The external event of Calvary provided God a way to get deep down into our inner-most being to begin the internal process of restoration back into His image, to repair the damage that occurred when we joined Satan’s rebellion. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice the Spirit of God is able, once again, to come and live inside of us and deliver us from our original nature, which is where sin's power is located.

God-fearing Hebrews were very conscious of the problem of sin. The entire culture and social structure of Israel revolved around the Law of Moses. For them, Yahweh was a God of justice as well as mercy. The conviction that each individual would receive exactly what his deeds and actions deserved ran deep in the heart of the Hebrew. They believed that those who did wickedly would receive a just recompense of punishment, but those who followed righteousness would receive life and blessing. The Jews were not waiting for a Messiah who would forgive their sins—they already had this under the Old Covenant. They were waiting for a Messiah who could deliver them from the compulsion to sin. Modern Judaism calls this compulsion the "evil inclination." The New Testament calls it the "old man." We call it the fallen Adamic nature.

Many Hebrews were seeking righteousness (Rom. 9:31-32 & 10:1-3) because they knew they would stand before the King of the Universe one day and be judged according to their works. The need to live righteously was woven into the very fabric of the culture.

Christians, on the other hand, have a different concept of both salvation and God in general. We no longer believe that every man will be judged "according to his works." We think only the unsaved will be judged according to their deeds. Therefore, sin becomes a non-issue for us once we have been saved. Why worry about sin if we will not be judged according to what we do, but according to what we believe? Once again, our theology contradicts the clear teaching of the Word.

The God of Israel has not changed! The Scripture says He is the same, yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8). Every person who has ever drawn breath will, at some point, stand before God and answer for how they responded to the light they were given. We are not going to simply answer for what we have believed about God. We are going to answer for how we have lived. We will be judged according to the deeds we have done in the flesh. Be not deceived by the religious traditions of men!

One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong that you, Oh Lord, are loving. Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done.

NIV Psalms 62:11-12

The heart is more devious than any other thing is depraved; who can pierce its secrets? I, Yahweh, search the heart, test the motives, to give each person what his conduct and his actions deserve.

NJB Jeremiah 17:9-10

If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength! Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say But we knew nothing about this, does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not He who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?

NIV Proverbs 24:10-12

Listen to me then, like intelligent people. Far be evil from God or injustice from Shaddai! For he pays people back for what they do, treating each as his own conduct deserves.

NJB Job 34:10-11

For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

Matthew 16:27

Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life.

Romans 2:6-7

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad (evil).

II. Corinthians 5:10

But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.

Colossians 3:25

And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear.

I. Peter 1:17

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

Revelation 20:12

If we are judged according to our works, where do grace and faith fit in? If we have genuine faith, that faith will transform us (our deeds and character) into the image of Christ. This way we can be judged according to our works and they will not condemn us. Our works will no longer be the works of the Devil or the works of the fallen Adamic nature. Rather, they will be the works of Christ. The life we live will not be our life but the life of Christ. The apostle Paul understood this. That is why he said:

I am crucified (dead) with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me gave himself for me.

Galatians 2:20

The things we have been taught about sin and redemption are so far removed from what the Scripture actually teaches it staggers the imagination. To explain the difference becomes a mind-boggling task. Firstly, we need to understand is that the Scripture refers to our redemption in past, present and future tenses. We have been saved, yet, we are being saved one day we shall be saved.

For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

Romans 5:10

Why is Paul telling those who have already been reconciled that they shall be saved? Aren’t we saved when we become reconciled by the blood of Jesus? Apparently salvation entails more than justification and reconciliation! The reason our redemption is referred to in all three tenses is because we are three-part beings. We are body, soul and spirit (I Thess. 5:23; Heb. 4:12). There are three distinct parts of the whole person, yet they are united as one whole. Redemption addresses them respectively. It must do so because all three parts of man are not fully redeemed at the same point in time.

Scripture does not divide us up when referring to the stages and timings of our redemption. In other words, the terms "you" or "we" could be referring to the whole person, or to only one part of the person. When Paul said "we" shall be changed at the last trump, he was talking about our bodies, not the whole person. We—our body—will be changed. The distinction is made clear by the context of the chapter (I. Cor. 15). When he said, God hath quickened "you" who were dead (Eph. 2:1) he was talking about our spirits, not to the whole person. We were not physically dead but spiritually dead. We—our spirits—were made alive again.

A correct understanding of the times and stages of redemption is vital. Our spirit was saved in a single moment of time. God regenerated it, fully redeemed it became united with it instantaneously. "He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit" (I. Cor. 6:17). Our body will be saved in the "twinkling of an eye." It will be changed in a moment from mortality to immortality when the Lord appears. Both the salvation of the spirit and the salvation of the body are instantaneous.

However, the soul is not saved and fully redeemed in an instant. The salvation of our soul is a process of deliverance which is going on right now. We—our souls—are being saved. God wants our soul to be transformed into His image. We are still unrighteous in many areas. The process of soul salvation is to bring us from a state of imputed righteousness to a state of actual righteous behavior and holiness. The average Christian, indeed the average preacher or teacher, does not understand this simple truth. Consequently they cannot understand the many verses of Scripture that speak of salvation as a product or consequence of our own labor.

(Speaking to the saints) Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

James 1:21

Why is James telling those who are already saved that their souls still need to be saved? Even more interesting, why is he telling them that their souls need to be saved, not by faith, nor by receiving Jesus into their hearts, but by the receiving of the engrafted word?

Receiving the end (goal) of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

I. Peter 1:9

Why is Peter telling those who are already saved that the GOAL of their "faith" is the salvation of their souls? Were not their souls saved as a result of believing on God’s Messiah?

And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.

Hebrews 5:9

Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

Hebrews 7:25

But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Hebrews 10:39

Why is the writer of Hebrews telling Jewish believers they must believe to the saving of the soul? Why is he telling them God is able to save to the uttermost? And that Jesus became the author of eternal salvation to them that obey (not just believe in) Him?

Is it possible that the soul is not fully redeemed when we first believe, that we must believe to it’s saving? Is it possible to be partially redeemed? To not be saved to the uttermost? Is it possible that believing in the Lord is not enough to transform and convert the soul? Could it be that we also have to obey Him in order to have the soul redeemed?

For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Galatians 6:8

Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Philippians 2:12

Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called hast professed a good profession before many witnesses...Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they (believers) may lay hold on eternal life.

I. Timothy 6:19

Why is Paul telling believers that "eternal life" is something that will be reaped that if they want to reap it they have to sow to the Spirit? Is eternal life a consequence of things we do? How can you reap something you have already been given "by grace?" Why is he telling us it is necessary to "work out" a salvation which has already been worked out and accomplished for us by grace? Why would he tell us that it is necessary to obtain eternal life if we already possess it? Are the apostles talking out of both sides of their mouths?

These and other Scriptures in the New Testament are referring to the salvation of the soul, a salvation which is accomplished neither instantly nor automatically. We are responsible to sow and work out and lay hold of soul salvation. We are responsible to receive the engrafted word, to believe and obey the Spirit of God. We are responsible to interact and co-operate with our Redeemer so He can transform (save) our soul!

This actual deliverance can never be imputed to us. Neither can it be experienced simply by believing correct doctrine or by attending a fellowship or by obeying any number of religious rules, rituals or regulations. It cannot be attained by dying physically and going to heaven. It takes personal interaction with God to be "delivered." This is precisely why the writer of Hebrews warned Christians not to neglect our salvation (Heb. 2:1-3). How can a person who is already saved neglect his salvation? Is the writer referring to a denial of the faith? Is he referring to backsliding or apostasy? Such a statement makes no sense if our current traditions of redemption are true.

We need to understand that we who have been "born again" can neglect our salvation by neglecting the process of transformation which is salvation. The sad fact is, many of God’s people are doing precisely this because they have been taught that Jesus only came to forgive our behavior, rather than to forgive and change that behavior.

Unfortunately a great many believers are not really interested in actual deliverance from sin because they like the pleasure sin provides. Many believers want to be released from the penalty of sin and the guilt of sin while continuing to indulge in that sin. Therefore, Satan has provided the Church with a counterfeit Christian doctrine called "grace" that promises us exactly what we want—the pleasure of sin without the guilt or penalty of sin. Those who choose to follow this path are neglecting the salvation (transformation) of their soul (character and behavior).

Jesus came to change our behavior. Behavior is the expression of the soul. He came to deliver and change our soul so that when we stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ, our deeds, our works, our conduct, will be counted worthy of eternal life. It is God's desire that we allow Him to live and work through us. It is He who is producing the change, not we. The result of that change will be His nature and character fully formed in us and reflected through our deeds.

God is not content that we go through eternity simply covered legally with the worthiness of Jesus. He wants to work that worthiness in us so we ourselves become worthy of eternal life.

But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage

Luke 20:35

Therefore, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. All this is evidence that God's judgment is right as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering.

NIV II. Thessalonians 1:4-5

Yet you have a few people in (the church of) Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy.

NIV Revelation 3:4

The purpose of Christianity is to make us new creations, creations that are worthy of eternal life. The majority of preachers today tell us we can never be worthy of eternal life. They say to even entertain such a thought is proof that we are not really trusting in the righteousness of Christ for our salvation, but our own righteousness. In other words, we are trying to be "saved by works."

But notice what Jesus said to New Testament Christians in the Church at Sardis. He said only a "few" people in that congregation were "worthy" to walk with Him. Upon what basis was the division made between those who were worthy and those who were not worthy to walk with the Lord? The division wasn't between those who trusted in Christ's imputed righteousness to make them worthy and those who trusted in their own righteousness to make them worthy. Rather, the division was between those who soiled their garments and those who kept them clean.

Those who kept their spiritual walk clean, who did not let themselves become spotted by the world, or defiled their own lusts and sins, were worthy to walk with the Lord. The life they lived (by God's power) made them worthy. What they did made them worthy.

Eternal Life

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:23

That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:15-16

And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

John 17:3

The concept of eternal life has become rather vague and mystical in our day. Eternal life is not a gift in the ordinary sense of the word. Rather, it is a gift of an opportunity. We think of eternal life as an event which will transform us after we die. We view it in much the same way we do true righteousness: it is imputed to us now by faith but will not actually be experienced till after we get to heaven.

Although this is not accurate, it is understandable that it has become the common view, for various scriptures refer to eternal life as something that we will enter into in the future (Matt. 25:46; Mark 10:30; John 12:25; Rom. 2:7). However, eternal life is not a legal position. Neither is it something that can be imputed to us. It is not given to us when we die or when we get to heaven.

As a matter of fact, eternal life has nothing to do with going to heaven or even with existing forever. The notion that eternal life is endless spiritual existence, imputed to us because of our profession of faith, has no basis whatsoever in Scripture. All spirits, including Satan and his demons, will exist forever. No one would suggest that they possess eternal life.

The question is not, will we exist forever? We most certainly will. The real question is, in what state will we exist forever? The spiritual condition we are in at the time of our physical death will determine where in what state we will exist.

Eternal life is a substance. It is a kind of life. It is the life of God. Of course, the life of God lasts forever, but the Scripture does not focus on the length of God's life. Rather, it focuses on its content. God's life is love, power, holiness, righteousness, justice and mercy. It consists of who He is, or what kind of character He has. God wants to give us His life. He has already given us a measure of that life (I. John 5:11). We do not have to wait till we die and go to heaven to begin experiencing eternal life.

Whoso eateth my flesh drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

John 6:54

As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

John 17:2

Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

I. John 3:15

These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

I. John 5:13

Eternal life is the life that comes to us when we receive Messiah as our Lord and Savior. It is born in us. It is planted in us and it must be nurtured. If we sow to the Spirit we will reap eternal life. But if we neglect that life, if we sow to the flesh, sooner or later we will reap spiritual death. We will die spiritually. Eternal life is only in Jesus for it is His life (I. John 5:11). In order to receive that life we must know Jesus intimately. Believing correct doctrine about Him with the mind does not bring us eternal life. Life comes only as a result of entering into a living relationship with the Lord. Moreover, in order to continue receiving that life we must learn to abide in Him.

Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man drink his blood, ye have no (eternal) life in you...He that eateth my flesh drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me I in him. As the living Father hath sent me I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me...I am the true vine my Father is the husbandman...Abide in me I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

John 6:53 & 56-57 & 15:1 & 4

He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

I. John 2:6

Eternal life is a substance that can be received and experienced today. But just as it can be received, so it can be lost. We can be full of life, void of life, or anything in between. This is the meaning of the parable of the sower and the seed (Luke 8:5-15). The "sower" sows the seed (Word of God) on various types of ground. What kind of "fruit" do we suppose the "seed" is to bring forth? Jesus said the word He spoke was spirit it was life (John 6:63). The fruit it is to produce is the "fruit of the Spirit" (Gal. 5:22-23), which is the nature of God, which is eternal life! The degree or measure of God's character we reflect in everyday conduct corresponds exactly to the amount of eternal life we possess. If we reflect little of the nature of God in our conduct, it means that we possess little eternal life.

Jesus said the seed fell on several kinds of ground. Some of the seed fell among the thorns. These are they that receive the Word but are choked with the cares, riches and pleasures of this life. Do we understand what this means? It means that it is possible to receive the Word, believe it and grow in it for a time, but then allow the cares and pleasures of this life to choke the eternal life that has began to grow! Material possessions and pleasures and duties of this life can actually crowd out the eternal life of our new man. They literally can slay our eternal life.

This is a solemn thought. Even those who are the good ground will bring forth varying degrees of life—thirty, sixty and an hundred-fold. The believer who is wise will devote his prime attention and energies to attaining the fullness of God's life. We do not grow in eternal life automatically by grace. We have a part to play. We have a responsibility to carry if we want to experience the fulness of God’s eternal life!

Paul prayed that New Testament believers, while alive in the flesh, "would be filled with all the fullness of God" (Eph. 3:19). What a prayer! Do we realize what an incredible thing Paul prayed for? Is it actually possible to be filled with God's life (character) now? Evidently Paul thought it was possible. He also said we are headed towards "the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Eph. 4:13).

To be filled with the fullness of God means to be full of His eternal, spiritual life. To be brought to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ is to be fully conformed to His image. Being transformed into that image and receiving more of that life should be our first priority in this world.

It is so tragic that the most widely held view of salvation is the product of a mis-interpretation and a mis-application of Paul's teaching on grace and works. We have heaped confusion upon confusion. First, we have defined holy living and obedience as legalism. Next, we have defined grace as an invisible legal state of perpetual, unconditional pardon of sin. Grace and works are set in opposition to one another. Then comes the axiom: we are either saved by works (godly conduct) or grace (which does not require godly conduct).

This same formula is then applied to our life after we have been saved. Either we remain saved by works (godly conduct) or grace (which does not require godly conduct). The assumption is that our behavior has no real bearing upon our entrance into Paradise after we die. We are taught that eternal life is a free gift that awaits us in the future, in heaven, regardless of how we lived on earth. The object is to "make it" to heaven. Once we make it everything will be ok. It is assumed that between the time we die and the time we reach those pearly gates we will somehow be delivered from all the sins we paid no attention to while alive in the flesh. For all practical intents and purposes death becomes our deliverer from the power of sin.

The confusion continues. Eternal life is presented as a spiritual variety package. All rewards laid out in Scripture, particularly in Revelation 2-3, are assumed to be included in the package deal of eternal life. The result? We assume: (1) all rewards and glory are part of the package deal called eternal life, (2) which is a free gift, (3) imputed to us now by our profession of faith, (4) but which will not be experienced till we get to heaven; (5) and once we are given this free gift we can never lose it, regardless of how much we sin, for (6) we received the gift by grace.

No wonder most of us are not concerned with attaining God's life now. No wonder we end up focusing all our energies on our own life! Sadly, the lives of most contemporary Christians center on the desires of the old man. We live the life of the animal creation—eating, sleeping, working, playing and reproducing. We busy ourselves fulfilling these aspects of life and fail to cultivate the life that God imparted to us at our new birth. The adverse consequence of such folly never occurs to us because we have been taught that eternal life awaits us in heaven. This concept comes as a result of emphasizing the future aspect of eternal life while ignoring the present aspect of it.

The whole counsel of Scripture is not being heeded. The aspect of eternal life which is future has nothing to do with entering heaven. It has to do with entering into eternal physical life. Put another way, there are two aspects of eternal life. One aspect is spiritual. This is a present reality and a personal possession which can be increased, decreased, or lost completely. The other aspect is physical. This is a future hope. It is the hope of entering into life in our physical bodies. Entering into our future physical hope is linked closely with the cultivation of the present spiritual life God gives us when we are born again. In short, how we live now will affect our future resurrected state.

The enemy knows this better than we do and has therefore created false doctrines to keep our attention away from what the Scripture says about the resurrection. No one even talks about the resurrection these days. All that is discussed is the ascension—commonly referred to as the Rapture.

Multitudes of Christians are anxiously waiting to fly off into the spirit realm, yet not one of them knows what we will do there. No one has any idea what our rewards will be, yet this has become our central hope. While we fantasize about things God never put in the Scripture, we ignore the things He did put there! Consequently we do not understand that the hope of Christianity is not a secret rapture into the spirit realm but a physical, bodily resurrection.

The resurrection held a central place in Paul's writings. It is a critical issue for Christians because the Bible teaches that one of the purposes of the resurrection of the body is to reward us according to our faithfulness (or lack thereof). Our reward pertains to what kind of body we will receive when the Lord returns.

The focus of most Christians has been shifted from what kind of body we will receive (based on our works) to where we will go (based on what we believe) when the Lord returns. We do not even worry about what kind of body we will receive. We just automatically assume that we will all get the same kind of body based on our profession of faith and our belief in God's Messiah. But this is absolutely unscriptural. It is Christian mythology. Have we not read what the Scripture actually states?

Paul spent an entire chapter explaining the different kinds of bodily resurrection we will experience (I. Cor. 15). All Christians are not going to receive the same kind of resurrected body! There will be different degrees of glory and honor granted in accordance to the varying degrees of faithfulness to God. This is why some of the saints who were imprisoned for the sake of the Kingdom of God refused to be set free; they wanted to obtain a "better" resurrection (Heb. 11:25).

The purpose of the resurrection of the body is so we can resume our life in the physical, material creation. Why resurrect and glorify a physical body if its destiny is perpetual existence in the spirit realm? The object is not to go to heaven but to enter into life in the body. God did not create us to live in the spirit realm. He gave us a material body in order that we could experience life in the material creation. He planted the Tree of Life in the midst of the Garden of Eden so man could experience eternal life in a physical body on a planet that was a Paradise. It is not man, but rather God's spirit beings, that were created to dwell in the spirit realm. They were given spiritual forms and substance.

The earth is our turf! Eternal physical life on this earth was our God-ordained privilege and right. This planet was created for us. Through trickery and deceit, Satan usurped the authority given to us and took over our planet. He (temporarily) destroyed our eternal physical life and brought the curse on our planet. He is the intruder; he is the usurper; he is our enemy. He seeks to maintain control of our earth and is doing everything he can to delay the coming of the Kingdom of God.

Jesus came to restore the things Satan stole from us. He came to repair our broken relationship with God. He came to restore us back to God’s image. He came to reinstate His Father's rule through the New Creation Man (Jesus the Head and the elect, which are His body) over this planet. He came to return eternal spiritual and physical life to us. In the beginning we had both.

This is certainly a different hope than the one being presented to God's people today. The hope that Evangelical Dispensationalism presents us with is a flight into the spirit realm. In fact, the underlying assumption that runs throughout the entire system is that the spirit realm is actually our deliverer from the power of sin. Physical death (not Christ in you) is really our hope of glory according to Dispensationalism. This assumption reveals not only an ignorance of the Scripture but a mind that is illogical.

Before we are brought into a relationship with God we possess only one kind of life—biological life. Once reconciled, the Lord gives each person a portion of His eternal, spiritual life. From that time forward we are in one of four possible conditions of existence. We can be: (1) alive biologically but dead spiritually, (2) dead biologically but alive spiritually, (3) alive both biologically and spiritually, or (4) dead both biologically and spiritually.

Biological life and death are subject to time and space. They have to do with where we are. If we are alive we are in the time/space realm; we are in the material creation. If we are dead we have changed our address. We have moved from the material creation into the spiritual creation.

Spiritual life and death are not subject to time and space. They are totally independent of the physical, material realm. Spiritual life has nothing to do with where we are, but rather, with what we are. It has to do with what kind of spiritual condition we are in. If we are alive we are alive, whether it be in the physical realm or the spirit realm. If we are dead we are dead, whether in the physical realm or the spirit realm. Physical death does not change our spiritual condition. Passing from the material realm into the spirit realm will not make a spiritually dead person alive. If a person is dead spiritually when he leaves this earth he will be dead spiritually when he arrives at his destination in the spirit realm. Messiah has come to give us life abundantly now, to transform us into His image now. If we spend our lives fulfilling the desires of our old nature, assuming that we will be changed when we get to heaven, we are going to be sorely disappointed. We will be naked in the day of resurrection.

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us (or, is producing for us) a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory...For we know that if our earthly house (physical body) of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house (spiritual body) not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house (body) which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked...For we that are in this tabernacle (body) do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed (lose this body) but clothed upon (with our spiritual body from heaven), that mortality might be swallowed up of life.

II. Corinthians 4:17 & 5:1-4

The Scripture says the believer has two bodies. One is physical and present with us. The other is spiritual and is in heaven. Paul said we groan and desire not that we would lose our physical body (earthly house) but that our physical body would be clothed with our spiritual body (heavenly house). In other words, the object is not to trade our natural body for a spiritual body. The object is to have our bodies changed from physical bodies of death to physical bodies of life then have them covered (clothed) with our spiritual body (house) from heaven.

It is the spiritual body from heaven that is of particular interest to us, for Paul says that to not have our resurrected physical bodies covered with our spiritual bodies from heaven is to be found naked in the day of resurrection. The spiritual house from heaven constitutes a major portion of our eternal reward. More importantly, that house is being built right now by our obedience and suffering.

Paul said our afflictions are producing an eternal weight of glory. What do we think this eternal weight of glory is? It is our house from heaven! In other words, we are building our own house today. Suffering and afflictions are the building material with which we are erecting our eternal reward, for they are what God uses to change us into His image. If we avoid suffering and affliction we will not have much spiritual weight in the resurrection. Our disobedience and self-centeredness will be revealed and manifested by the weight of our spiritual house. It will be revealed by how much glory covers our resurrected body. The more glory we possess in the day of resurrection, the more spiritual authority and higher rank we will be granted in the Kingdom of God.

We will be rewarded with a spiritual body that reflects what we have done in our physical body. In other words, we will be clothed with our deeds! Could there be a more just way to give every man according to his works? When this becomes a reality to us, then what we do in this life (how we live) becomes very important indeed!

The reason Christians aren't too concerned about how they live right now is because they are taught that it doesn't matter how they live right now. They are taught that we will all get basically the same rewards in heaven after we die (or after the rapture) "by grace." They are taught that our rewards are not based on what we do but on what we believe Jesus did. They have no idea they are going to wear their works for all eternity!

Text Box: PART THREE

The “Gospel” Of The
Kingdom VersusThe “Good News” Of Dispensationalism

The Internal Kingdom Of God

The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached every man presseth into it.

Luke 16:16

The gospel which is currently being preached around this globe bears little (if any) resemblance to the message that Jesus and the apostles preached 1900 years ago. Not only has Dispensationalism distorted the first principles of Christ, it has veiled and hidden the main theme of the Bible from us.

The theme of the kingdom runs from Genesis to Revelation. Virtually all of Israel's prophets prophesied about it. It was the focus of the teachings and parables of Jesus and all the apostles preached it. Yet most believers have never heard the "gospel of the kingdom!" This is because pastors do not teach about the Kingdom of God. They preach about grace, the rapture, witnessing being involved in the church.

Today the majority of Bible colleges and seminaries are Dispensational centers of learning. Soon-to-be pastors, before they even get to these schools, have already been taught Dispensationalism in their local churches. They then go to a seminary where they are thoroughly indoctrinated into the system. They spend years studying the Scripture but never attain an understanding of the plan of God. That is a tragedy in itself, but even more tragic is the fact that they are then placed in positions of great influence in the body of Christ. From that vantage point they spread Dispensational poison throughout the believing community. The blind are leading the blind and both are going into a ditch!

Dispensationalism claims the Kingdom of God is primarily a future, external, national kingdom, pertaining mainly to the Jewish people. It's a Jewish thing, having no real connection with this present dispensation of grace. According to this theology, when Jesus came He offered the "kingdom" to the Jews. That is, He offered to establish a literal national kingdom in which Israel would be the leading nation from which the Son of David would rule all people.

Dispensationalism teaches that the kingdom was given to the Jews by divine promise and prophetic decree—this is true. It also says that when Jesus came He offered to establish the Jewish kingdom if the Jews would have accepted Him as God’s Messiah—this is not true. Next, it says that because the Jews rejected both Jesus and the kingdom He was offering them, God created or inserted a special dispensation which was designed especially for Gentiles. This special dispensation supposedly has nothing to do with the Jewish people or the promised Jewish kingdom that is to be established on this planet.

During this special dispensation Jesus is forming His Church from those of the nations who will respond. The Jews are on hold. The earthly Jewish kingdom is on hold. It is assumed that when the Church is completed, God will "rapture" it into Paradise. This will end the current "dispensation of grace" and begin the Great Tribulation. At this point the Jews will become the focus of God's plan once again as He prepares to establish the delayed (Jewish) kingdom on earth.

Because the dispensation of grace pertains specifically to the Gentile Church, the resulting assumption has been that the Church was not foreseen or referred to by Israel's prophets. Pastors-in-training are taught that virtually none of the Old Testament prophesies concerning "Israel" relate or apply to the New Testament Gentile Church. In other words, though the prophets did speak about the coming Messiah, they did not speak about His Church.

Supposedly, the gospel of the kingdom has no bearing on New Testament Christianity. It has not been preached since it was offered to the Jews in the first century and will not be preached again until after the rapture. There is virtually no relationship between it and those of us living in this dispensation of grace. This is the view of the majority of contemporary Christians, though many of them have no idea what they have actually been taught.

How does this view line up with Scripture? Not very well. Jesus said the Law and the Prophets were "until John." Since then, the message that is to be preached, the only message that is valid, is the gospel of the Kingdom of God. There is no other message.

In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Matthew 3:1-2

Then he called his twelve disciples together gave them power and authority over all devils to cure diseases. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God to heal the sick.

Luke 9:1-2

Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God.

Mark 1:14

After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come..(and he said to them) into whatsoever city ye enter they receive you, eat such things as are set before you: And heal the sick that are therein say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.

Luke 10:1,8-9

To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

Acts 1:3

But when they (the Samarians) believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

Acts 8:12

The gospel is that God's Messiah has come to bring salvation to all men so they could inherit the Kingdom of God. Dispensationalists say that when the Jewish disciples went preaching the kingdom they directed their message primarily to fellow Jews. Is this true? Was the message of the kingdom only for Jews? Hardly. But even if such were the case, it would still be impossible to explain away the apostle Paul, who was undeniably raised up to bring the gospel to us Gentiles in this dispensation of grace (Acts 9:15; I. Cor. 9:16-17; Gal. 2:17). So how did Paul, the apostle of grace, preach the gospel?

And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house (in Rome) received all (Jew and Gentile) that came in unto him, Preaching the kingdom of God teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.

Acts 28:30-31

But none of these things (chains and tribulations) move me, nor do I count my life dear unto myself, so that I may finish my race with joy the ministry, which I have received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more.

NKJV. Acts 20:24-25

It's no accident we know nothing about the kingdom. Dispensationalism was designed to separate every aspect of (Gentile) salvation from its proper relationship to the kingdom. Paul spread the gospel of grace by preaching the Kingdom of God, just as Jesus spread the message of grace by preaching the Kingdom of God. The good news that Paul took to the Gentiles was that God has extended grace to us and invited us to be partakers, not of some new destiny designed especially for us, but of God's original destiny, designed for His original chosen people. We have been given the chance to be included in the wonderful promises made to the Jewish people. Through Messiah, the door has been opened to share their destiny. Their rejection of their own King and His kingdom provided us the opportunity to accept them.

If Dispensationalism is right, if the Kingdom of God is primarily a national kingdom, if it pertains only (or even primarily) to biological Jews, if it is to be established on this planet in the future, where does that leave us Gentile Christians? Out of the picture is where it leaves us! This is precisely why "heaven" has become the central hope and main focus of non-Jewish believers.

Not only are we ignorant of the Kingdom of God, we are not even capable of understanding it should we begin to be taught it. The concepts, laws and principles of the kingdom are utterly foreign to the concepts and teachings of Dispensationalism. The two are irreconcilable! Though the Scripture teaches many truths about the kingdom, much of it only confuses us because what is written will never fit into brother Darby's Dispensational model.

The Scripture declares that the kingdom is come (Luke 11:20), yet shall come (II. Tim. 4:1). It tells us we have been translated into it (Col. 1:13), yet we must still enter it (Acts 14:22). It teaches that even though we are heirs of the kingdom (James 2:5) though it is the Father's good pleasure to give us the kingdom (Luke 12:32), we must still seek it (Matt. 6:33).

Moreover, if we continue in sin we will never inherit it, though it was given to us (I. Cor. 6:10; Gal. 5:21; Eph. 5:5). Even though the kingdom of God is in us (Luke 17:21) we still must strive to enter it (Luke 13:24). Some are in the kingdom now but will be cast out later, when the Lord returns (Luke 13:28). We receive the kingdom by faith—by the faith of a simple child (Mark 10:15)—but we enter it through much tribulation (Acts 14:22), which makes us worthy of it (II. Thess. 1:4-5).

In order to properly understand these passages and our relationship to them, we will have to un-learn much of what we have been taught all our Christian lives. This will not be easy for most people it will be nearly impossible for most preachers because they usually become unteachable once they are ordained. The first concept we need to un-learn is the notion that heaven is a fanciful Paradise where people are free to roam the universe and do whatever they want. The Scripture states that heaven is God's throne, the place from where He rules the entire spiritual and material creation.

Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?

Isaiah 66:1

But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.

Matthew 5:34-35

God dwells in the spirit realm. He dwells in heaven. His throne is there and He has a kingdom there. The term throne represents rulership and authority. This is why Jesus referred to the Kingdom of God as the Kingdom "of Heaven." They are different aspects of the same kingdom. It is the Kingdom of God because it is His kingdom. He is the King and Ruler of that kingdom. It is the Kingdom of Heaven because the King currently rules both heaven and earth from heaven.

The next false doctrine we need to un-learn is that the Kingdom of God is primarily external, Jewish and future. The Kingdom of God is both an external and internal kingdom. It is for all—Jew and Gentile alike—who will truly repent and follow God's Messiah. Moreover, only it's external manifestation is future. The main portion of the kingdom is spiritual and is being built right now, in the hearts and lives of the saints. God is setting His kingdom up in the believer first. After the inner kingdom has been fully established, then the external aspect of it will be established.

When Jesus said the kingdom was "at hand" He was not saying He was about to begin the thousand year Millennium. He was saying that He was bringing the kingdom rule (presence and authority) of God out of heaven (the spirit realm) where is now abides, into the hearts and lives of those who would receive Him. This is precisely why He said the kingdom is in us (Luke 17:20-21). The King comes into our hearts, bringing with Him the righteousness, peace and joy of the kingdom (Rom. 14:17). Before the kingdom can be manifested outwardly it must be formed in us, just as Christ must be formed in us (Gal. 4:19). The internal rulership of God is what Adam forfeited when he chose to disobey Him in the Garden. Rebellion and self-will replaced the Spirit of God in man's inner-most being and we died spiritually. That internal damage is what Jesus came to repair. Through the New Covenant, God can dwell inside an individual once again. Only by dwelling inside a person can the rulership and Lordship of God be re-established in mankind.

This is precisely what Jesus was showing by His life and work. That is why He could say the Kingdom of God was at hand. The power, authority and Lordship of God and His kingdom, in the Son of God, was being displayed and manifested before the eyes of the people. It was then offered to them if they would repent and follow Him. The whole problem was that the Jews particularly the religious rulers, were not looking for an internal kingdom. They were looking for an external kingdom—a national, geo-political kingdom in which their authority would not only be recognized but exalted and perpetuated forever.

When it became clear that Jesus of Nazareth could be the promised Messiah, the religious leaders demanded that He produce the external kingdom. But Jesus was not sent to set up the external kingdom at that time. He was sent to establish the inner kingdom, which is God’s rule in the lives of men. Indeed, He could not have produced the external kingdom even if He had wanted to for that was not the Father's plan or will. So the rulers of Israel rejected Him and labeled Him a deceiver. Their rejection of the inner, spiritual aspect of the kingdom opened the way for God to offer it to those of the nations who would come to Messiah.

It was not wrong for the people of Israel to believe that the Messiah would set up an external kingdom when He came. Such a kingdom was predicted by the prophets. However, the prophets were not shown the spiritual dimension of that kingdom. All they saw was its external manifestation. Therefore, Israel's understanding of its own destiny was incomplete. The people did not realize that many Gentiles were to become part of their heritage and destiny. Neither did they realize that the spiritual portion of the kingdom had to be established in them first.

The only thing Israel's religious leaders were conscious of was that which the prophets described—an external, visible kingdom. The prophets drew a rough sketch of the kingdom’s outward appearance. To this very day religious Jews are waiting for that outer kingdom. As a matter of fact, this is the very argument they use when faced with the truth that Jesus is the Messiah. They say, "If Yeshua was the Messiah, why is there no peace on earth? If He was the Deliverer, why do the nations hate Israel? Why are they seeking to destroy it? If He was the Messiah, where is the kingdom?"

The problem the rulers of Israel faced was not a lack of knowledge but a lack of humility. God was not angry with them for believing His prophets. But He was displeased because they refused to listen to Jesus, the greatest prophet of all time, who was trying to explain aspects of God's plan to them that they were not aware of. The problem was that the religious leaders were full of "head knowledge." They knew the "letter" of the Torah but not the Spirit who wrote it! Because they knew the Torah so well they became un-teachable and full of religious pride.

Though Jesus tried to teach them about the internal kingdom they could never grasp anything He said. He tried to get their attention off the outer kingdom by making statements that would make absolutely no sense to the person who was looking solely for an external Jewish kingdom. Had they been teachable they would have begun to understand that He came to set God's kingdom up in the people.

The people of Israel were in no condition to rule the nations with the Messiah. Imagine the Pharisees being set at the head of all nations! How could they rule in righteousness when they were still bound in sin and iniquity? How could the Law go forth from Zion when the people of Jerusalem were not even born-again or indwelt by God's Spirit? The very people who expected to be set at the head of all nations were themselves wicked. What kind of kingdom would that have been?

We Christians have a wonderful advantage over the saints of the Old Testament. The understanding of the spiritual dimension of the kingdom was reserved for us. The knowledge and experiences of the New Covenant should enable us to perceive what was hidden from them. The inward, spiritual workings of the kingdom should have been added to that rough sketch the prophets drew, giving us a clearer picture of how the inner kingdom will look when fully developed in God's people and then manifested in the earth.

The Kingdom of God is not an external government that will drop down out of heaven when the Messiah returns in glory. It is an internal government that will be manifested once it has been fully formed in God's people. Actually, the Millennium is being created in the people of God right now. This is why Jesus taught that the Kingdom of God grows. It starts as a tiny seed, then grows to a mature tree where God's creation can find shelter and rest (Matt. 21:31-32).

God wants to establish His kingdom in us today and bring it to maturity so that in the future, He can rule and shepherd the saved nations through us. Unfortunately, most Christians have no more understanding of what God is doing than did the Pharisees. Religious pride has blinded many of us because we live under the influence of a theological system that presumes to have all knowledge of salvation, but in reality is blind to God's purposes. We live under a system that breeds spiritual vanity and arrogance in those who embrace it.

Like the Pharisees, we are full of head knowledge and just as unteachable. We know the letter of the New Testament but not the ways of the Spirit who wrote it. We have swallowed the lie that Israel and the Church are separate entities, which have separate destinies, based on separate covenants and promises. We have been cut off from the "Israel" of the prophets, cut off from the kingdom promised them! Whereas the religious leaders of Israel were looking for the wrong kind of kingdom, the religious rulers of the Church are not looking for any kind of kingdom! We are waiting to be raptured into the spirit realm while all creation is waiting for God to establish His kingdom on earth!

We do not understand that our inheritance is in the kingdom promised to the Jews. Their calling is our calling, their destiny our destiny, their hope our hope. We were given the same good news they were. There is only one gospel message; and it has nothing to do with flying off into Paradise. It has to do with the Kingdom of God coming to earth.

The gospel of the Kingdom is a call to enter into a relationship with God through faith in His Son, allowing Him to cleanse us so that His life and character might be formed in us and manifested through our works. Thus, God's will shall be done "in earth as it is in heaven." The rule of the invisible kingdom shall be seen of men by our works, just as the Jews saw it through the works of God's Son. Soon that rule will be established permanently over the entire planet and God's creation will have rest.

The External Kingdom Of God

But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

NKJV Acts 20:24

Not that I have already obtained it (the goal) or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.

NAS Philippians 3:12

Of the many false teachings and concepts contained within Dispensation Theology, its view on what happens to the believer after he passes into the spirit realm is the most familiar to both Christians and non-Christians. This is the idea that all Christians will go to heaven and share the same rewards and destiny whether they obeyed God in this life or not.

Throughout his writings the apostle Paul demonstrated that his view of salvation was a far cry from our current delusions. This is brought out clearly by what he said in Acts and Philippians. He said he did not count his life dear to himself—meaning, he viewed his own safety, security and pleasure as unimportant—in order that he might achieve several things. One was to finish the ministry God entrusted to him. The other was to finish his personal race or course. To finish his personal race meant that he had fulfilled God's plan for his personal transformation into the image of Jesus Christ.

The concept of a preordained ministry is familiar to people. How many times have we heard comments like, "I was born to preach," or "God called me to preach when I was just a child." God told Jeremiah He ordained him a prophet before He formed him in the belly (Jer. 1:5). Paul said he was separated and called to the ministry from his mother's womb (Gal. 1:15). This we can easily relate to. However, the idea of a preordained personal destiny, which is a race that we must run, which can only be attained by obedience, is probably foreign to most of us.

Paul said he was laboring to lay hold of the destiny for which he was laid hold of by Christ. God had a plan for Paul's life. He had a course which was laid out for him from the foundation of the world. God laid hold of Paul and showed him what that destiny was. Paul was then responsible to lay hold of that destiny. He was responsible to yield to the chastening of the Holy Spirit as God molded him and brought him into the realization of his goal.

Paul said he had to attain what he was after. He never believed or taught that he would automatically get it by grace. He never taught that he (or any other believer) would fulfill their ordained destiny and call regardless of their obedience to God's will for their lives. He never taught that we will finish our personal race even if we choose not to run it! In fact, he taught just the opposite. He said he buffeted his body and brought it into subjection to the Spirit, lest after having fulfilled his ordained ministry he might be disqualified from his ordained destiny.

But I do it all (become all things to all men when preaching the gospel) because of the rewards promised by the Good News, so that I may share in them along with the others who come to trust. Don't you know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one wins the prize? So then, run to win! Now every athlete in training submits himself to strict discipline he does it just to win a laurel wreath that will soon wither away. But we do it to win a crown that will last forever. Accordingly, I don't run aimlessly but straight for the finish line; I don't shadow box but try to make every punch count. I treat my body hard and make it my slave so that, after proclaiming the Good News to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

JNT I. Corinthians 9:23-27

Paul was pressing toward something. He was trying to attain something. He did not assume he would automatically get them because he believed in Jesus and neither should we. He knew he had to do his part, which was to trust and obey God. He had to run his race. He did not run aimlessly, not knowing what his goal was or where the finish line was. He knew what his destiny was and focused all his life's energies on attaining that destiny. This is why Peter told us to make our "calling and election sure" (II. Pet. 1:10).

Paul said he disciplined himself and kept his bodily appetites under control so he would not be disqualified. Disqualified from what? Was he afraid of being disqualified from going to heaven or from being saved? Are we to assume that the apostle of grace was trying to earn salvation by works? Was he buffeting his body to keep himself saved, to keep from being cast into hell? Of course not. He disciplined himself so he would not be disqualified from his personal destiny in the coming kingdom—a destiny that was already marked out for him but which he could fail to attain through disobedience.

What needs to be understood is that Paul is dealing with issues which go far beyond escaping hell. He was not afraid of going to hell. But he did have a healthy fear of missing the mark he was aiming for. He had a fear of missing the place ordained for him from the foundation of the world. Each of us has an ordained course that we must strive to finish. This is what the writer of Hebrews meant when he said we have to labor to enter into the rest of God.

Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest... But with whom was he (God) grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

Hebrews 3:8-11 & 17-19

Here the rest of God is equated with entering the Promised Land. God was angry with those who did not believe He could fulfill the promise He made to Abraham, which was to give his seed the land of Canaan. Instead of having faith in God’s word, they believed the evil report of the ten spies who said they were no match against the inhabitants of the land because they were giants. Because of their unbelief, God swore they would not enter His rest (the Land). In other words, they would not receive what God had promised to give them. The land was theirs to take. God had ordained that it be given to them. All they were required to do was enter in by faith and obedience. To enter the Promised Land was to enter the rest of God. Entering the rest of God meant entering into the works He had prepared and finished by the seventh day of creation.

For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise God did rest the seventh day from all his works. And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.

Hebrews 4:3-5

All God's works were finished by the seventh day and then He rested. They were prepared and waiting for all who would believe. This means that the destiny of Israel was prepared by the seventh day. The destiny of the Church was prepared by the seventh day. Your destiny was prepared by the seventh day. However, the people who came up out of Egypt forfeited their part in God's work through unbelief. They did not appropriate what should have been theirs. They did not acquire what God intended for them to have. After explaining this, the writer of Hebrews warns us not to follow their example.

Let us (Christians) therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

Hebrews 4:1

We must also enter God's rest, just as the Hebrews were to enter it. We must enter into the works that pertain to our call and destiny, just as the Hebrews were to enter into the works that pertained to their call and destiny—the works God finished from the foundation of the world.

We should have a healthy fear of missing the destiny God has prepared for us. The blood of Jesus secured the opportunity for us to enter God's rest. It has made it possible for us to acquire that which God ordained us to have. However, we do not receive what has been prepared for us automatically, regardless of our co-operation. We must labor to enter the rest of God. What kind of labor is the writer referring to? Is he talking about religious works or ministry? No. He is talking about ceasing from doing our own works and our own will so we can be brought into what God has prepared for us.

There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his (God's) rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Hebrews 4:9-11

We enter God's rest by ceasing to do our own will. Any believer who has attempted to do the will of God on a daily basis knows just how much labor this involves. It is not easy. Our old man always wants its own way its own way is always contrary to the will of God. We have to deliberately make up our mind every day to stop ourselves from doing what we think is best and get the mind of the Spirit. As we yield to the daily will of God for our lives we are entering His rest. We are allowing Him to guide us down the path that He has chosen and prepared for us.

Christianity is not about escaping hell in order to live in heaven. Grace has nothing to do with going to heaven. Nowhere does the Scripture teach that making it to heaven is the goal of redemption. Nowhere does the Bible state that the final destiny of any saint, in any dispensation, is eternal residence in the spirit realm. The Scriptural destiny of the saints of all dispensations is eternal life in the Kingdom of God. We are not destined to float aimlessly throughout the spirit realm. We are destined to function in the kingdom that is coming to earth. Our place in that kingdom, which was ordained for us by God, which we must labor to enter into, will never be determined by love, mercy, or the lawless grace of Dispensationalism. It will be determined by our individual effort, by our obedience to the Spirit of God.

The distinction between the "gospel of the kingdom" and the "good news" of today's Dispensationalism is radical. They are two completely separate gospels. Dispensationalism proclaims that our destiny is to dwell in an intangible Paradise which is not described in Scripture. It tells us that obedience, though admirable, is not absolutely necessary to make it into this Paradise. It says the only thing that is really necessary is that we believe and accept what Jesus did for us.

The gospel of the kingdom presents us with the very same hope the ancient Hebrews had: life in a real kingdom, a kingdom which is described in both Testaments, which will be established on this earth. Obedience to Christ is necessary in order to inherit this kingdom.

Are we saying there is no heaven? Not at all. There is indeed a heaven. Do Christians go there when they die? Of course. Will we be in God's presence? Undoubtedly. What is heaven like? What will we do there? No one seems to know. There is a lot of speculation and wishful thinking about what it is like, but the fact is, no one actually knows what heaven is like because God has not told us what it is like. The Scripture gives us precious little information about what happens to us after we have passed into the spirit realm.

But since going to heaven is held out as both the goal of redemption and the destiny of the saints, our pastors have had to come up with some information about heaven—what it's like and what we will do there. They have gone to God's Word and picked a verse here and there, then put them together to make a mythological Paradise. They say, "this is what heaven is like; this is why God saved you." Yet God has told us very little about what heaven is like or what we will do when we get there because "making it" to heaven is not what salvation is all about. Although there are dozens of scriptures that make reference to heaven, not one teaches that the purpose of redemption is to live in heaven.

But isn't it true that we have a lively hope, consisting of an inheritance reserved for us in heaven (I. Pet. 1:34)? Yes! Isn't it also true that we have a substance in heaven (Heb. 10:34) and rewards in heaven (Matt. 5:12)? Absolutely. However, it is not true that our inheritance, substance and rewards consist of carnal mansions, harps and golden slippers. Neither is it true that we will receive them regardless of our faithfulness to Christ. Neither is it true that we are destined to remain in the spirit realm once we have received our rewards and inheritance. The Bible states plainly that the inheritance of God's people is the earth (Psalms 37:9,11 & 22; Matt. 5:5).

Jesus is a real King. He is returning to establish a real kingdom. In that kingdom there will be those who are the greatest and those who are the least—and everything in between. There will be different levels of rank, power, responsibility and service. The Lord will put each of us in the place we have attained. What determines our place in that kingdom? What determines who will be great and who will be least? Obedience!

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:17-19

Christians who obey the commandments of God now will be great in the kingdom then. Christians who disobey the commandments of God now will be least in the kingdom then. We need to understand that we are making our place in the coming kingdom by how we live today. Our destiny in Christ will be determined by obedience, by how much co-operation we have given the Spirit as He attempted to transform us into the image of Christ. The degree of transformation we have experienced will determine our place in the kingdom.

Obedience is critical. This is why God has stressed obedience in every book of the Bible. Our rewards are based on obedience, not on a correct confession of who Jesus Christ is. Obedience is central in the covenant of grace. This is why Dispensational Antinomianism is such a wicked evil. It will cause many Christians to miss the rest of God!

Dispensationalism tells us Jesus did it all for us at Calvary. It scoffs at the idea of being rewarded according to individual effort. It labels all personal effort legalism. It claims all such effort is simply an attempt to be "saved by works." All one need do, says the Dispensationalist, is believe and accept what was done for us. Everything we were ordained to have, all that we were destined to become, is supposed to happen automatically, after we die, by grace. This is a monumental religious delusion! Jesus did not do it all. Rather, His sacrifice made it all possible for us to do it all!

The Bible states over and over again that believers are responsible to do their part. We must attain the first resurrection (Phil. 3:11-12) and labor to enter the rest of God (Heb. 4:11). We have to obtain the new world (Luke 20:35), the prize (I. Cor. 9:24) and salvation (I. Thess. 5:9; II. Tim. 2:10). We have to lay hold of eternal life (I. Tim. 6:12). We must sow to the Spirit in order to reap eternal life (Gal. 6:8). We must win Christ (Phil. 3:8), strive to enter the kingdom (Luke 13:24) and overcome to receive the rewards of Revelation chapters two and three.

Moreover, we must keep ourselves unspotted from this evil world (James 1:27), make our calling and election sure (II. Pet. 1:10) and walk worthy of that calling (Eph. 4:1). We have to cleanse and purify ourselves, our hearts and our hands (II. Cor. 7:1; James 4:8). We must abstain from fornication (I. Thess. 4:3), from all appearance of evil (I. Thess. 5:22), from fleshly lusts (I. Pet. 2:11) and lay aside sin (Heb. 12:1). We also have to flee youthful lusts (II. Tim. 2:22), idolatry (I. Cor. 10:14) and the love of money (I. Tim. 6:11).

In addition, we have to put on the whole armor of God (Eph. 6:11) so we can resist the Devil (James 4:7; I. Pet. 5:8-9), stand against his temptations and assaults (Eph. 6:11), wrestle against his power (Eph. 6:12), war as a good soldier of Jesus (I. Tim. 1:18) and fight the good fight of faith (I. Tim. 6:10). We have to seek both the righteousness of God and His kingdom (Matt. 6:33). We must awake to righteousness (I. Cor. 15:34) and yield to righteousness (Rom. 6:19). We must draw nigh to God (James 4:8) and come out from among those who will not draw nigh to Him (II. Cor. 6:17). We must endure hardness (II. Tim. 2:3), afflictions (II. Tim. 4:5), chastening (Heb. 12:7), persecution and tribulation (II. Thess. 1:4), grief (I. Pet. 2:19) and all things (II. Tim. 2:10). So we should be sober (I. Thess. 5:6), vigilant (I. Pet. 5:8) and holy (Eph. 1:4).

The Bible clearly states that all these things are our responsibility. We must do them. They are not an invisible legal position, or things we can simply believe and confess. We have to do them if we want to reach the goal that has been set before us.

While we can not do them in our own wisdom and strength—we have to do them through the power of the Holy Spirit—we still have to do them. Yet, in arrogant defiance of these explicit commands, Dispensationalists claim that Jesus did it all for us and warn us that if we try to do anything but believe and accept what was done for us, we will be guilty of "adding works to grace."

Friends, Jesus did not do it all. He died to empower us to do it all. He did not shed His blood to rapture a bunch of unchanged, self-centered and disobedient Christians into heaven. If He did, heaven would no longer be heaven! He sacrificed His life to change us now, so we can appropriate our destiny in Christ. He died to enable us to enter God's rest today, preparing us for our role in the coming kingdom tomorrow. He shed His blood to bring each individual who was destined to be part of His Royal Priesthood forward, into the realization and attainment of that goal.

We have been blinded by the lies of Dispensationalism. Instead of being taught that the purpose of the New Covenant is to free us from the power of sin and prepare us for our role in the kingdom, we are told that physical death is our deliverer from sin, that our journey from earth to heaven will somehow make us perfect. Such a teaching is unbiblical and detrimental, for it delays—and in some cases stops permanently—the sanctifying work the Holy Spirit was sent to do in us. It negates the very thing Jesus died to accomplish!

Not only is it absolutely unscriptural to teach that death delivers us from the power and compulsion to sin, it is totally illogical. Where did sin begin? It began in heaven! It began around the very throne of God before the material universe was even created. It came forth from a powerful cherub named Lucifer, who the Scripture says was created perfect.

Now think. If sin began in a perfect being who lived in heaven, what in the world makes us think that moving from earth to heaven will deliver us from sin? The only thing death delivers us from is the ability to act out our sinful desires because we no longer have a physical body or vehicle of expression. But losing our body does not change our personality or our character. Changing our personality is the work the New Covenant is designed to accomplish. This is what the "dispensation of grace" is all about! God is cleansing the temple, which temple we are, before Jesus returns to establish the kingdom.

What about carnal Christians? What will happen to those who have a genuine salvation experience, but who do not allow God to completely purge and cleanse them? Will they be cast into eternal torment? Not at all. We are not dealing here with the issue of being eternally saved or lost. Though it is certainly possible for a Christian to end up in the lake of fire, most of those who have not been fully cleansed will have a place in the kingdom. However, it will not be the place God had originally intended for them. Also, they will have to face the purging fire of God's judgement, sometime, somewhere, before they take their place in that kingdom. In addition, there is always the possibility that they could end up being what Paul referred to as "vessels of dishonor."

Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified meet for the master's use prepared unto every good work.

II. Timothy 2:19-21

In God's great house there will be those who are vessels of honour and those who are vessels of dishonour. It is futile to argue that the vessels of dishonour are not Christians, for the analogy is of one house—God's house. Those in God's house who fail to purge themselves of sin and iniquity may end up vessels of dishonor in His kingdom. What kind of dishonor is Paul talking about? How will it be manifested? It will be shown by what kind of physical resurrection we receive, by how much glory covers us, by how much (spiritual) weight we carry, by our rank in the kingdom by how much authority we are granted.

In the Scripture, gold and silver represent the nature of God. Earth and wood represent the nature of man. The vessels of dishonour are those who are still earth. They are those who never allowed God to make them gold or silver, who did not allow Him to conform them to the image of Christ.

Vessels of dishonor will be those who have been taught the lies of Dispensationalism: that sin is a non-issue because of grace; that Christians will obtain their destiny automatically by grace, regardless of obedience to the Lord; that we will not be judged according to what we have done but according to what we have believed. Those who are taught these lies will go to the throne of God unchanged. Their works will be the works of fallen Adam and Satan and they will have to answer for them.

Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Corinthians 3:13‑15

Some believers will have all their works burnt up, yet they will still be saved "as by fire." However, it is no light thing to be saved by fire. Many pastors use this verse of Scripture to calm the fears of those who know they are living in sin who are afraid they will end up lost. But this is not a verse of comfort! Such an experience will be horrifying and humiliating no one knows for sure just what kind of spiritual condition such a process will leave us in for the rest of eternity. Those who play games with God and then hope to be saved by fire in the end are fools indeed!

Woe to the shepherds who destroy God's flock through man-made traditions and religious deception! Woe to those who have a "form" of godliness but "deny the power" thereof! You are destroying righteousness in the Church. You are building Satan’s kingdom in the earth—and you will receive double punishment for the havoc and destruction you are causing among the people of God!

Better to be a vessel of gold and silver. Better to be one of those who have allowed God to conform them to the image of Christ. Better to be one who possesses the nature of God. These kinds of vessels are being trained and judged and chastened by the Spirit today, so that they will be prepared to fulfill their destiny in the coming kingdom. They will go to the throne of God changed. Their works will be the works of the Spirit of God and they shall bear the glory of them forever.

The Second Resurrection

And I saw thrones they sat upon them judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus for the word of God which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison...

And I saw a great white throne...And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Revelation 20:4-5 & 7,11-15

The New Testament is full of scriptures that clash with the concepts of Dispensationalism. The book of Revelation is a particularly sharp thorn in its side, for here the Lord addresses New Testament believers in their local churches. There can be no doubt that what was said to them can apply to us, for they were living in the "dispensation of grace" just as we are. The things that are said in Revelation serve only to confuse the average believer because they will not fit Darby’s model of salvation. Consequently, most Christians spend very little time studying it.

Because many of the Lord's statements will never fit the concepts and theories of Dispensationalism, Dispensational theologians spend a great deal of time re-interpreting and explaining (away) those verses that do not agree with their view. In some cases the results are horrifying. A good example of this is the second resurrection and the Great White Throne judgement.

If we approach the verses which concern the second resurrection with the Dispensational mind-set, we will have to concede (whether we like it or not) that most of the people who have ever lived are destined for the lake of fire. The Dispensational formula is simple and (seemingly) logical. The Scripture says no man can be saved by works. Since those at the second resurrection are judged "according to their works," this means that no one at this resurrection can possibly be saved—they will all be cast into the lake of fire. Therefore, no Christians will come forth at the second resurrection. The saved will come forth at the first resurrection and the unsaved at the second resurrection.

The fact that a great percentage of the defendants at the White Throne Judgment probably never even so much as heard the name of Jesus seems irrelevant to the average Christian today. "Never heard of Jesus? Too bad! There is no other name by which men can be saved. Off to the lake of fire anyway!"

Indeed, if our traditional concept of salvation is correct, the bulk of humanity has been lost. Except for a tiny group of faithful Old Covenant Hebrews and a tiny group of faithful New Covenant Christians, all people who have ever lived will be sent to the lake of fire. Paradise will contain a very small population indeed!

Are we prepared to condemn the entire race of mankind to everlasting torment? Evangelicals not only say yes, they say that because this is so, all Christians everywhere should focus all their time, resources and energy on evangelizing the world.

This position reveals a certain callousness of heart, which was also present in the Pharisees, who mastered all the points of the Law and then proceeded to apply them in a manner contrary to the mind and heart of God. The spiritual mechanics of salvation were not designed by God to place the maximum number of humans into eternal torment, but rather, to bring the maximum number forward into His new world. We would have the situation the other way around. Only a handful of human beings (mostly those in our denomination or fellowship) would escape hell.

What does the Scripture itself reveal about the two resurrections? First of all, one resurrection is at the beginning of the Millennium and the other one is at the end of the Millennium. Only the second resurrection is a resurrection unto judgement. That is, only the second one pertains to the judging of the individual with regard to being saved or lost eternally.

The first resurrection is not a resurrection unto judgement. It has nothing to do with being eternally saved or lost. It is a resurrection of rewards. It is the resurrection of the Royal Priesthood. Those at this resurrection have overcome the Antichrist and the beast. They were beheaded and laid down their lives. They have already been judged while alive in the flesh. Therefore, they are holy. The purpose of the first resurrection is to grant authority and rulership to those who have already been purged and cleansed of their iniquity. John said they were given thrones and judgment. They were granted authority to rule and made priests. The responsibility of ruling and governing the earth with Jesus for a thousand years was given to them for they were worthy to share in it.

Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ shall reign with him a thousand years.

Revelation 20:6

What transpires at the first resurrection is a placing of individuals in the rank and level of service that they have attained. It deals with the distribution of rewards for obedience, for having followed the Lamb whithersoever He goeth (Rev. 14:4). Notice carefully that John didn't say those who missed the first resurrection would be thrown into the lake of fire. He said the second death (lake of fire) "hath no power" over them. The clear implication is that the second death will (or at least could) have power over a person at the second resurrection.

This seemingly unimportant distinction is actually very important, for it is assumed that this verse places Christians at the first resurrection and the unsaved at the second one. But this is not what the verse states! If such were the point John was trying to convey he would have phrased it more like this: "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection for such shall not be cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death."

But that's not what John said because it's not what he meant—though this is how we interpret it. The phrase "hath no power" does not mean "to be cast into." The vast majority of Christians interpret it this way because nothing else would fit or make sense to them. However, what Jesus said to the Church at Smyrna adds additional light to the subject.

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches (not unbelievers); he that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

Revelation 2:11

He that overcometh will not be "hurt" by the second death. What is the implication? The implication is that those who do not overcome can be hurt by the second death, which is the lake of fire. Is being hurt by something the same as being destroyed by it? Is it the same as being thrown into it? Absolutely not! There is a monumental difference between being hurt by the lake of fire and being destroyed by the lake of fire—which is what will happen to any person that is "thrown into" it. The concept seems to be that it is possible to be hurt by the second death, or to have it have authority over a portion of us, yet not be thrown into (destroyed by) it.

Is this possible? It must be possible because the Word says it is possible. We must be careful, especially in Revelation, not to bend and contort the meaning of those verses that do not fit our theological outlook. The lake of fire can have authority over a Christian. It can hurt a Christian. Though we do not understand clearly how this is possible, we must believe what is written because it is God's Word.

The same is true regarding the events at the Great White Throne judgment. Revelation 20:15 doesn't say all those who are raised at the second resurrection are cast into the lake of fire. It says, "Whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire."

The expression, "whosoever was not found," does not necessarily mean that nobody was found. The assumption that no one will be found in the Book of Life is a product of our Evangelical, Dispensational view-point. We think this is what it means because our twisted view of grace and works demands that we interpret it this way. However, what is important is not what we think, but what God's Word actually states.

The term denotes a separation. Some will be thrown into the lake of fire, some will not. The implication is that someone is looking for the names of the defendants in the Book of Life. Why bother to look for the names of people who have no chance of being there? God is not a ritualist. He would never have Gabriel or Michael look repeatedly, over and over again, billions and billions of times, for the names of those who cannot possibly be there!

Some will have their names in that book. In fact, the construction of the wording implies that only a minority will be sent to the lake of fire. In any case, it certainly does not state (or imply) that everyone present is lost. Only those whose names "cannot be found" will be lost.

Yes, there will be Christians at the second resurrection. Which Christians? Those who did not overcome. Those who refused to purge themselves from sin. Those who went through life assuming it's ok to continue in sin because, after all, we're only human—and besides, we're saved by grace. Unfortunately, many will not accept this truth because such a concept destroys many of our cherished traditions. Instead of allowing God's Word to change our theology and opinions, Dispensational scholars are now attempting to change the translation of the original Greek of Revelation 20:15. Just like the religious leaders of Israel did, our leaders are tampering with God's Word so it will support their traditions.

Most of us can’t even comprehend what John describes. At the second resurrection there are books which have the deeds of people recorded in them. Also, there is the Book of Life. The defendants are judged out of those things which were "written in the books." Do we understand what this means? It means these people are not judged as to whether or not they made a profession of faith in Israel's Messiah. They are not judged on the basis of whether or not they accepted Jesus into their hearts. THEY WERE JUDGED OUT OF THE THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOKS! If their deeds deserve eternal punishment in the lake of fire their names will not be found in the Book of Life. If their deeds qualify them to be brought forward into the new world their names will be found.

Well then, how do you get your name written in the Book of Life? You get your name written in the Book of Life by being obedient to the light God gives you. Not everyone who has ever lived since the beginning of time has been given the same light that we enjoy—and take for granted. Of course, it is absolutely true that once we have been presented with God's sacrifice we must accept that sacrifice. An individual cannot reject Jesus and then hope to escape the lake of fire by obeying whatever other light he has been given. But it is equally true that not every human has been presented with the light of God's Messiah. What shall we do with them?

God does not see as we see or judge as we judge. There is a kingdom law that exists it is that each individual is judged on the basis of the light he/she has been given. Many people have lived and died without ever knowing the light of the Scripture. Most of us may not realize that from the fall of the Roman Empire until the Protestant Reformation—a span of over 1000 years—the Bible was locked away from the common people. It was unknown and unread. The only ones who had access to it was the clergy of the State Church. The priests, monks and friars of the Catholic Church taught everything but salvation by faith. They taught the people that they had to buy salvation with indulgences and tithes to the Church, that redemption was earned by obeying Church rituals and papal decrees. Every road to salvation was taught except the one that was true: salvation by grace through faith.

Shall we cast these millions into eternal damnation? And what of those in the Old Testament who had no knowledge of the God of Abraham? Shall we cast them into hell also? In our religious pride we have put both salvation and the Giver of salvation into a neatly packaged box which reflects neither the teaching of Scripture nor the heart of God. Every person who has obeyed the light God provided him has his name in God's book. We have our names in the book because we have accepted the light He has provided us—His Son.

Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

Luke 10:20

And I entreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.

Philippians 4:3

To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven to God the Judge of all to the spirits of just men made perfect.

Hebrews 12:23

Christians today don’t even think about the Book of Life because it is only associated with the second resurrection and those who are lost. We take for granted that our names are written in that book and we assume they can't be blotted out. But this is not the teaching of Scripture.

And Moses returned unto the Lord said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.

Exodus 32:31-33

Can you have your name "blotted out" of a book it was never in? God states plainly that some who’s names were currently in the book were about to have them erased because of sin. But that was the Old Testament! We are different aren’t we? Maybe those stiff-necked Jews could be blotted out but we can’t be blotted out—we're "saved by grace." The risen, glorified Christ gave a similar warning to a New Testament congregation in the city of Sardis.

Thou hast a few names (people) even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father before his angels.

Revelation 3:5

Jesus said there were a few believers in Sardis who had not "defiled their garments." What about the rest of the believers in that church? Obviously they had defiled their garments. Those who kept their garments clean overcame sin. They overcame the sinful desires that would cause them to defile their garments. Their worthiness was more than imputed worthiness, for all the believers in Sardis were forgiven, justified and had the imputed worthiness of Jesus ascribed to their account. But only a few of these Christians had kept their garments clean. The rest had soiled their garments by sinning and they were in danger of having their names blotted out of the Book of Life.

Regardless of what dispensation God’s people have lived in, we get our names blotted out of the Book of Life by sinning against God. We get them erased by disobeying the light He has given us. Those living under the New Covenant have been given Jesus, the Light of the world. Those who lived under the Old Covenant were given the light of the Torah and the direction of God’s prophets. Others were given whatever light God saw fit to give them.

The issue isn't whether or not every person who has ever been born has had the same light. It is both illogical and unreasonable to assume that they did. Rather, what is important is that we understand that all are required to obey whatever light God gives them. Those who do not obey the light they are given by God place themselves in eternal danger. God warned us that He is no respecter of persons. Christians are not exempt from this kingdom law.

How much sin does it take to remove our names from the Book of Life? Only God knows the answer to that question. Each of us is different. Each is a unique case. We have all come from very different social backgrounds and experienced various depths of sin and iniquity before coming to Christ. Each has been given a different measure of spiritual light and understanding. Only God knows when we have gone beyond the point of no return. Only He knows when someone has crossed the line or presumed upon His grace once too often.

In many places and in many different ways the Bible clearly teaches that it is possible for a believer to fall totally away from saving faith. If we read the New Testament with an un-biased view-point this truth will be easily seen. Indeed, it cannot be avoided. Of course, it is also true that it is not easy for a true child of God to end up eternally lost, for our God is faithful and full of mercy. He will go to great lengths to salvage a rebellious child if at all possible.

In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

I. Corinthians 5:4‑5

Paul spoke the above words "in the name of our Lord Jesus." He was being directed of the Spirit on how to deal with a rebellious child of God. The Spirit instructed the Corinthian fellowship to deliver the man over to Satan and let Satan destroy his flesh so that in the end he would not be cut off eternally. Paul had no trouble saying this because he understood well the severity of God. He personally saw many of his brethren "after the flesh" experience that terrible severity.

God has committed Himself to complete the work He has begun in us but His longsuffering does have a limit. While we can (and should) trust in His long-suffering, we must never forget that it is possible to have our names blotted out of the Book of Life.

The Judgment Of The Priesthood

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

II. Corinthians 5:10

The Scripture says plainly that all men must appear before the judgment seat of Christ to answer for the things they have done. It repeats this warning again and again, yet Dispensational teachers and preachers deny this truth. Moreover, they deny it in a most insidious manner. They say that although all people (including Christians) must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, there is a difference between what is judged. Supposedly, God is going to judge the deeds of the unsaved (which will condemn them to hell), but only the works of the saved (which will bring reward or loss of reward).

The notes contained in Scofield's Reference Bible provide us with a clear picture of the conceptual and theological pretzel-bending that is employed in order to convince people that they will not be held accountable for what they do, nor reap what they have sown.

"The judgment of the believers' works, not sins, is under discussion here. His sins have been atoned for and are remembered no more forever (Heb. 10:17); but every work must come into judgment (Matt. 12:36; Rom. 4:12; Gal. 6:7; Eph. 6:8; Col. 3:24). The result is reward or loss of reward, but he himself shall be saved (I. Cor. 3:11-15). This judgment occurs at the return of Christ for His Church (I. Cor. 4:5; II. Tim. 4:8; Rev. 22:12)."

Page 1225 (Emphasis mine)

Scofield combines several Dispensational concepts, all of which are wrong, when explaining the meaning of II. Corinthians 5:10. It would be helpful to review them more closely. The first error is the "spin" he puts on Hebrews 10:17, which makes us think all our present and future sins will be remembered no more forever, whether we confess and turn away from them or not.

Such a notion is totally unscriptural, for John said, "if we confess our sins, He (Jesus) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (John 1:9). If we confess them we will be forgiven. If we do not confess them we will not be forgiven. Hebrews 10:17 must be kept in context with the rest of the teachings of the New Testament or we go straight into religious deception.

The second error is the belief that only the service (religious works) of the believer shall be judged. Let us take a look at a few of the references Dr. Scofield lists and see if they actually support what he is teaching us.

But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment, For by thy words thou shalt be justified by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Matthew 12:36-37

What we say is recorded in books. On that day, what we have said will condemn us or justify us. Every "idle word" will need to be accounted for. Every idle word! Is every idle word a religious work or a deed?

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption (spiritual death); but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Galatians 6:7-8

Here we are told that God is not mocked. Whatever a man sows, the same shall he reap. If he sows to his flesh he will reap the kind of crop the flesh produces, which is death—spiritual and natural. If he sows to the Spirit he will reap the kind of crop the Spirit produces, which is life everlasting. Is sowing a religious work or a deed?

Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong that he has done: and there is no respect of persons.

Colossians 3:24-25

"But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong he has done." What shall he receive? Will he receive a loss of reward, or what his wrong deeds deserve? Does the term "doeth wrong" describe deeds (what we do) or does it describe religious works (ministry)? When the Scripture says all men will be judged according to what they do and say, it means exactly that! Works are what we do. How can we believe that the works of those at the second resurrection are deeds but the works of Christians at the Judgment Seat of Christ are something other than deeds?

Scofield is by no means the only scholar to be hood-winked by these errors. Dr. Charles Ryrie, in his Ryrie Study Bible, propagates the same error. One example is found in his explanatory note on John 5:24. Here Jesus said that any person who heareth His word and believeth on the Father that sent Him hath everlasting life. Also, that we shall not come into condemnation (judgment), but have passed from death unto life. Dr. Ryrie proceeds to explain that:

"Christ's authority is seen in the spheres of resurrection (vv. 21, 25, 26) and judgment (vv. 22-23, 27). God will make Christ the judge in order that the Son may be honored. Those who believe will escape judgment (v. 24)."

Page 1609 (Emphasis mine)

Dispensationalists use verses like this one and Hebrews 10:17 as a starting point, then go on to deduce and erect a super-structure of half-truths and error upon the New Testament. The whole system is based on the rejection of the whole counsel of Scripture. Instead of "rightly dividing" the Word of Truth, they destroy truth by emphasizing those verses which fit their concepts and ignoring or explaining away those that don’t.

John 5:24 is one side of a paradox. While it states that the believer will not come into condemnation (judgment), I. Peter 4:17 states that God's divine judgment begins with believers in Christ Jesus! In fact, the whole fourth chapter of First Peter shows that our tribulations in this life are the judgment of God upon us. Moreover, II. Thessalonians 1:5 states that our sufferings are a manifest token of God's judgment, which comes to us so that we may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God. We are suffering under God's judgment today in order to be made worthy to inherit and receive the kingdom tomorrow.

Which of these verses is more important than the other? Which should we emphasize? Which should we employ as a prime axiom? Upon which should we build our theology and deduce our theory of the judgment of the believer? Obviously we cannot afford to deny or de-emphasize either of them. We must approach this paradox the same way we approach all the paradoxes of the Scripture—by saying Amen! to both aspects until God reveals the balance which brings them into harmony.

In reality, John 5:24 and I. Peter complement each other. John uses the term condemnation or judgment in the sense of the divine wrath that is to be poured out on those who will not repent. Peter uses it in the sense of divine discipline and chastening unto righteousness for the redeemed. The two concepts are brought together in First Corinthians eleven.

For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

I. Corinthians 11:31-32

The disciplining judgment of God falls on us so we will escape the condemning judgment which will fall on an un-repentant and stiff-necked world. The tribulations and sufferings that befall us are the judgment of Jesus Christ. They are disciplining judgments which should lead us to repentance and sanctification. God judges us by allowing us to go through tribulation, persecution and suffering, some of which is of our own making because of sin and self-will some of which is the attack of our adversary on the good we are doing for the kingdom. The purpose in all of this is to make us holy.

God's judgment perfects us. His chastening is a critical factor in our spiritual growth. The Scripture says Jesus was perfected "by the things He suffered." We are admonished to embrace the same frame of mind. We should expect suffering and tribulation and view them as spiritually profitable. Unfortunately, we are being taught exactly the reverse!

For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps...Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin.

I. Peter 2:20-21 & 4:1

Yea all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

II. Timothy 3:12

Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.

Hebrews 5:8-9

And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him.

Hebrews 12:5

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.

I. Peter 1:7

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy...For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

I. Peter 4:12-13 & 17

For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.

Philippians 1:29

That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto.

I. Thessalonians 3:3

I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore repent.

Revelation 3:18-19

We were appointed unto tribulation! Tribulation and suffering are good for us because they conform us to the death of Messiah, which allows His life to come forth in us. They help us cease from sin. They help to conform us to the image of Christ. They also make us worthy of the Kingdom of God. Once we understand this truth, the wickedness of the lawless grace and tribulation-free gospel that pervades our culture will be perceived.

The third error Scofield teaches is that whatever judgment we will have to experience, it will not take place until after the return of the Lord. But this goes against all of the scriptures listed above. What do we imagine is happening to the believer that is being purged and cleansed through the disciplining judgments of God? The judgment seat of Christ is in session now. Right now we are being made manifest before the Throne of God. Today our selfishness, greed, lust for pleasure, trust in money desire to manipulate others is being revealed. We are appearing before the Judge. What we are, is being made manifest so God can deliver and purge us from all iniquity.

Malachi prophesied that when Messiah comes He would purify us by fire so we will walk in righteousness (Mal. 3:3). John prophesied that when Messiah comes He would baptize us with fire and purge His floor (Matt. 3:11-12). Messiah has come! He has begun to purify His Church by fire. If we are truly yielding to the work of the Spirit, we are already in the process of being judged. If we will continue to yield to the purging work of God we shall be thoroughly purged and completely clean when Messiah returns.

The Kingdom is coming to earth. The God of heaven is going to invade the kingdoms of men. It is hard for those who have been under the influence of Dispensationalism all our lives to grasp the various implications of what this means. Most of us have probably never even considered what will happen when heaven comes to earth. The only thing the average Christian is conscious of is that we could be raptured into eternal bliss at any moment. We think that in heaven we will have no challenges or responsibilities.

This is not the picture the Bible presents. Both the Old and the New Testament say the saints will be doing vastly more than relaxing in their mansions of gold after the Lord returns. Those who have been found worthy to rule and reign with Messiah will indeed rule with Him. They are going to have responsibility and challenges and function in the capacity God destined for them, which they apprehended and attained by obedience.

And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these (those who turn the grace of God into sin), saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

Jude 1:14-15

Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth a twoedged sword in their hand; To execute vengeance upon the heathen punishments upon the people; To bind their kings with chains their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the Lord.

Psalms 149:5-9

Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness princes shall rule in judgment.

Isaiah 32:1

Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

I. Corinthians 6:2-3

I beheld the same horn (Antichrist) made war with the saints prevailed against them; Until the Ancient of days came judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.

Daniel 7:22

And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Luke 22:29-30

If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us.

II. Timothy 2:12

And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

Revelation 5:10

And he that overcometh keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

Revelation 2:26-27

The Bible states that God's people are destined to be kings (rulers) and priests (shepherds) over the nations of the earth. Our destiny is to share the responsibility and authority of the Son of God. This is the meaning of the whole concept of the "body of Christ." We are the body of Christ. Jesus is head of the body. We are saved in order to come into union with Him, so we think His thoughts, view things the way He views them, say the things He wants said and do the things He wants done. The head is supposed to be Lord of the body. He is supposed to be in control.

Imagine how you would look if your body would not do what your mind and will commanded it to do. This is how the Church looks! Believers are going in hundreds of different directions, each doing their own religious thing. Shall God give all authority and power to those who still retain the right do their own will?

Jesus said he that overcomes shall sit with Him in His throne, just as He is sitting with the Father in His throne (Rev. 3:21). Do you think Jesus is going to allow us to sit with Him in His Father's throne the way we are now? How absurd. We are deluded if we think we are going to be set over God’s creation while our own wills are still alive and trying to get their own way. We would end up destroying each other and the entire creation.

Before we can rule over others we must submit to the government of God in our own lives. Before we can break the pride and rebellion of others our pride and rebellion must be broken. Before we can judge others we must be judged ourselves. This is precisely why we were called to suffer. This is why we were appointed to tribulation. Our sin and rebellion must be purged first. If we suffer we shall reign with Him (II. Tim. 2:12). Suffering, tribulation and chastening are all part of the process of cleansing and purging (sanctification) which is absolutely necessary if we expect to rule with Jesus Christ.

The First Resurrection

Where there is no vision the people perish: but he who keepeth the law, happy is he.

Proverbs 29:18

But they have also erred through wine through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.

Isaiah 28:7

It is important that the saints have a vision, for a lack of vision can cause us to perish. The surest way to get and keep a proper vision is to obey God. Happy is he who obeys the Lord. His vision remains strong. He stays in the way. His discernment remains sharp. Those who disobey God stumble in their own iniquity. They go out of the way because their discernment gets dull and they lose their vision. If there is one thing Dispensationalism produces it's a lack of vision! It cuts us off from our past heritage in Israel and our future role in the kingdom, leaving us floundering in limbo, not knowing where we are going or how to prepare for our destination.

It claims the destiny of Israel and the Church will remain forever separate, but the Bible teaches that through Christ the Gentiles were made part of Israel, being grafted onto the same olive tree, joined to the same body and sharing the same promise and inheritance.

It claims our profession of faith alone prepares us for our journey to Paradise, but the Word admonishes and warns us to prepare for the Lord's return through sanctification. It tells us that grace is nothing more than a legal loophole that enables us to remain unchanged and still inherit the promises, but the Scripture says God's grace makes us partakers in the divine nature (II. Pet. 1:4). It says grace is more powerful than sin that it has the power to turn mere humans into the divine image of Almighty God.

The Scripture says that God intends His grace to transform us now, but Dispensationalism assures us that any transformation that is necessary will take place automatically, in the future, at the rapture or when we die.

The Word says the Father sends the Holy Spirit to purge believers of their rebellion and iniquity, to clean us up so that when the Son returns He will find a body of believers who are "without spot or wrinkle" or any blemish. It says tribulation and suffering are part of the Spirit's work to make us pure and spotless. They are the judgment of Jesus Christ on our self-will and rebellion and are designed to sanctify and make us holy so we will be pure when the Lord Jesus returns.

Dispensationalism tells us this is not true. It says we will never come under God's judgment. It claims that we were not appointed to suffering or tribulation. It tells us it's ok to sin because as long as we are human we have to sin. Then it assures us that because this is so, God will always overlook and cover our sin by grace.

The Scripture says we can deny Jesus (II. Tim. 2:12), or fall and turn away from Him (Heb. 6:6 & 12:25). It warns us that if we do not bear good fruit we are in danger of being cast forth from the Vine (John 15:6). It says we can be spued out of His mouth (Rev. 3:16). It tells us that it is possible to believe in vain, receive the grace of God in vain and have our names blotted out of the Book of Life (I. Cor. 15:2; II. Cor. 6:1; Rev. 3:5). Dispensationalism claims these things are not possible and that these scriptures do not really mean what they say.

The Word declares that the destiny of all God’s saints is life in the Kingdom of God on earth. Dispensationalism says only the destiny of the Jewish saints is life in that kingdom. The rest of the saints (Gentiles) are destined to fly off and dwell in the spirit realm.

Paul taught that we must apprehend the destiny that God has already prepared for us and secured for us through the blood of Jesus. He said we must labor to enter God's rest. Jesus said we have to strive to enter the narrow gate which leads to life. Dispensationalism, on the other hand, assures us that such a notion is a denial of the grace of God. It says that no effort (effort constitutes works) is necessary on our part to attain our destiny. It says we have already entered God's rest if we have accepted Jesus as Savior and we will automatically obtain our destiny because Jesus already did it all for us.

The Scripture teaches that all men will be judged according to their works. Dispensationalism assures us that only the unbelievers will be judged according to their works. It is prepared to cast the vast majority of humans ever born into the lake of fire, regardless of whether or not they obeyed the light they were given. Yet it would allow the most vile "Christian" into Paradise because he "believes" in Jesus.

The Bible reveals that God has a plan which He is bringing to pass slowly but surely that our understanding of that plan is progressive. As it unfolds in the time and space realm, we are given new insights about it, as well as our relationship to it. Dispensationalism says there is no new truth. Any concept or truth that is not already being taught must be false. It claims that its understanding of what God is doing is the final authority, that it has all truth—and it has it systematically arranged! Its view of redemption is all-inclusive and all-encompassing.

In reality, Dispensationalism is twisted, narrow-minded, arrogant and blind; and it produces blindness and arrogance in those it influences. No wonder Christians have no vision. We live under the constant influence of a system of theology that denies God's Word and justifies continual, premeditated sin. It encourages, ever so subtly, disobedience to God.

While claiming to adhere to the literal interpretation of the Scripture, it ignores and/or explains away the literal meaning of dozens of verses of Scripture! While presuming to be the standard by which ones orthodoxy can (and should) be judged, it is in fact a novel interpretive system which did not even exist until the nineteenth century (when John Darby began inventing it) which conflicts with the Word of God and the writings of the early Church fathers.

While Dispensational Antinomianism scorns at the necessity of obedience in securing ones prescribed destiny, the issue of whose will we obey is paramount in the New Testament. Obeying God's will is what brings us into His rest and gains us the inheritance. But in order to do God's will, we have to deny our own will. We have to lay down our own life.

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself take up his cross follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

Matthew 16:25

If any man come to me hate not his father mother wife children brethren sisters, yea his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross come after me, cannot be my disciple.

Luke 14:26

I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

I. Corinthians 15:31

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

II. Corinthians 4:10

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Romans 12:1

That I may know him the power of his resurrection the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

Philippians 3:11

And they (the Saints) overcame him (Antichrist) by the blood of the Lamb by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Revelation 12:11

We read these verses of Scripture and have no idea what they mean! We do not understand the implications of what Jesus and Paul taught because the lies of Dispensationalism fill our minds. Jesus said any person that wished to follow Him had to do several things. These requirements are not options, they are demands. The person must follow Jesus. He must pick up his cross and he must deny himself.

Deny himself what? Did Jesus have a list of do's and don'ts that people were expected to follow? No. The issue is not that we have to deny our self this thing or that thing. We have to deny our self, our Adamic self-life. We must deny ourselves the right to choose things according to our own carnal desires and reasoning. The Lord said, "...whosoever will save his life shall lose it, but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it." What does this mean? How can I find my life if I lose it? What does it mean to lose my life if I attempt to save it? Does it mean I will die physically? All die physically, whether we are disciples or not. So Jesus can't be referring to physical death.

He was talking about the life we are destined to obtain. God has a life planned and ordained for each of us. What we are now is not what God wants us to be. He wants us to be conformed to the image of His Son. The life we are destined to obtain is not the result of holding a correct doctrinal position regarding Christ but of transformation. If we avoid that transformation now, we will lose the life we were destined to possess in the kingdom. We will forfeit the opportunity to become what God desired to make us. If we lose our own life now, if we voluntarily relinquish our right to do what we want, when we want, we will find the life that was destined to be ours. Denying our own lives now allows the life of Christ to come forth in us. It allows God to transform and change us into what we are destined to be.

Paul said he was always bearing about in his body the "dying of the Lord" so the "life of Jesus" could come forth in him. He said, "I die daily." Every day he sought to do only those things which God desired of him. He did not do what he wanted or what he thought was best. He was no longer his own man. His life was over. He brought all his choices under the government of the Holy Spirit.

He tells us to do the same by offering our bodies a living sacrifice, which is our "reasonable service." In other words, denying the self-life is the normal Christian life. It's not just for little old ladies or ministers or super-saints. It's for anyone who claims to be a Christian. This particular aspect of Christianity is extremely important because it directly affects which resurrection we come forth at. Not all Christians will come forth at the first resurrection, for the first resurrection has to be attained. This is the teaching of Paul.

That I may know him the power of his resurrection the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

Philippians 3:11

We need to stop and consider carefully what Paul is saying here. He is talking about entering into the fellowship of Christ's sufferings. He wanted to be conformed to His death in order to experience the power of His resurrection life. As we die, the life of Christ comes forth in us. But then he goes on to talk about attaining unto the resurrection from the dead. This is a separate issue. He is not talking about attaining spiritual resurrection life here and now. Rather, he is talking about a future event.

How can you "attain" the resurrection of the body? Man does not have to attain physical resurrection. All you have to do to be resurrected physically is die physically. All who die physically will automatically experience a resurrection of some kind, whether unto life or damnation (John 5:29). Paul was not seeking to be conformed to Christ's death in order to apprehend a general resurrection, but a special resurrection called the "out-resurrection" or the first resurrection.

Nearly every reference to resurrection in the New Testament is the Greek term anastasis (an‑as'‑tas‑is), which means "a standing up again" (ie., from death). The term Paul uses here is exanastasis (ex‑an‑as'‑tas‑is). It is the same Greek term, except that he adds the prefix ex—which means "out from." This is the only place in the entire Bible the term is found. What it means is a resurrection out from among the general resurrection which is to take place at the end of the Millennium.

This out-resurrection is the thing Paul was trying to attain. Qualifying for the first resurrection has nothing to do with being saved or lost. The resurrection that will determine the eternal fate of all mankind (except the Royal Priesthood) is the second resurrection, which takes place at the end of the Millennium. At this resurrection both Christians and non-Christians will come forth and be rewarded as God sees fit. The "out-resurrection" has to do with bringing together God’s firstfruits from all generations in order to rule and reign with Jesus for a thousand years.

Attaining this resurrection is a reward. It is attained through death. Not physical death but Adamic death. As we lay down our will and allow God to put our old man to death, it becomes "crucified with Christ" and the life of the new man starts coming forth in us, qualifying us to be raised at the first resurrection.

This is what Paul meant when he said that he was dead, yet he was still alive. Paul died daily. Each day he chose to do someone else's will. As we put our desires, pleasures, security, goals and relationships under the government of God's Spirit, we are in fact killing our old man, which continually wants to do its own will rather than God's will. As we defer to the will of God we commit Adamic suicide. As we put the self-life to death we are taking up our cross and are "being made conformable" to the death of the Messiah.

Actually, we cannot crucify ourselves. God is the One who is putting our old man to death. But we have to choose to allow Him to perform this very painful operation. Jesus told us to take up our cross and follow Him. The cross is an instrument of death. If we take up our cross we will be dying, which is exactly what Jesus said we must do if we want to be His disciple exactly what Paul said we must do if we want to attain the first resurrection. We have to pick up our individual, personal cross. Rotharham's Emphasized Bible brings out the meaning of what Paul said a little more clearly.

To get to know him the power of his resurrection and fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed unto his death - if by any means I may advance to the earlier resurrection, which is from among the dead. Not that I have already received or have already reached perfection, but I am I am pressing on - if I may even lay hold of that for which I have also been laid hold of by Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:10-12

Not all believers will come forth at the "earlier" resurrection. Only those who have paid the required price will come forth at this one. The rest will come forth at the last (second) resurrection, where they will have to be judged because they did not allow God to judge them while alive in the flesh. Such a concept will be totally foreign to those who have been taught that every Christian will come forth at the first resurrection and rule with Christ. But it should not be foreign to us because Jesus taught the same truth when He gave us the parable of the wise and foolish virgins.

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

Then all those virgins arose trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

Matthew 25:1-13

The ten virgins represent believers, half of whom were wise and half of whom were foolish. It is pointless to argue that the foolish virgins were not Christians, for they were waiting for the bridegroom to return just like the wise ones were. Besides, the term "virgin" is symbolic of those who have been washed in the blood and made pure in God's eyes. All of these virgins were Christians. All of them had lamps (spiritual light) and oil (the life of God). While the bridegroom tarried they all slept. Sleep represents rest. They were all at rest. But they were in two different kinds of rest. The wise virgins were in the rest of God, prepared and ready for the marriage. The foolish virgins were in a false rest. They thought they were ready for the marriage but they were not ready.

When the cry came to go out and meet the bridegroom all of them recognized the call. All of them got ready to go meet the bridegroom. It was not until that moment that the foolish virgins realized that they were not prepared to go into the marriage. The virgins (believers) who were prepared went into the marriage but the rest were shut out. Were they cast into hell? No. But they could not participate in the wedding because they had not been prepared. It is our responsibility to let God prepare us for the wedding. No preparation—no wedding!

Is it possible there are those who believe in Jesus, who possess spiritual light (a lamp) and spiritual life (oil), who are waiting for His return but are not ready to meet Him? Is it possible that a Christian could miss the marriage? Dispensationalism says no, but Jesus said otherwise.

Those at the first resurrection overcame the beast and the false prophet by the blood of the Lamb, the word of their testimony by not loving their lives to the death. Whether we are a dead sacrifice (physically killed) or a living sacrifice (dead to our own will), the price of attaining the first resurrection is the same—our self-life must come to an end.

The Marriage Supper Of The Lamb

Let us be glad and rejoice give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

Revelation 19:8

Though all of the errors propagated by Dispensationalism are destructive, possibly the most tragic error is its teaching on the marriage supper of the Lamb. We have been mislead with regards to what the marriage will be like, the preparation required to partake of it when it will take place. When the wedding happens, some Christians will not be ready. They will not be given white linen because the white linen is righteousness. Notice that John did not say the white linen was the righteousness of Christ. He said it was the righteousness of saints. The white linen consists of the righteous character of God which has been fully formed in the saints. Those who have not allowed God to change them from the image of Adam to the image of Christ will have no actual righteousness (garment) to cover them.

And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son...And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot take him away cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.

Matthew 22:1-2 & 11-14

What man would want to marry a woman who didn't even care enough about their wedding to obtain a wedding dress or who was not interested enough in the marriage to get ready for the ceremony? We must be prepared. We must bear the Messiah's image. We have to possess a wedding garment. We must be prepared to enter the marriage because the marriage is not a banquet, it is the beginning of the establishment of God's kingdom on earth.

Most believers think the marriage supper will be a seven-year-long rewards ceremony in heaven, where we will all be stuffing our faces and dancing on streets of gold while the Great Tribulation is terrorizing the Jews and the entire world. More delusion! Though the marriage will be a time of joy for the saints who have made themselves ready, it will be a time of anguish for Christians who have not allowed God to prepare them, and a time of utter terror for the unsaved. The marriage is not a prelude to a party but a prelude to war.

Immediately after John heard the voice of many waters announce that the marriage of the Lamb is come he saw heaven opened. The description of what follows is the result of the marriage. It is a description of what will happen when the marriage takes place.

And I saw heaven opened behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies (plural) which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS LORD OF LORDS...

And I saw the beast the kings of the earth their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse against his army. And the beast was taken with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant (of the armies) were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

Revelation 19:11-16 & 19-21

The marriage is not a picnic in Paradise. It's the start of Armageddon. When Messiah returns, the "armies of heaven" will be following Him—and they aren't dropping by to have lunch! They are coming to execute divine vengeance and retribution upon those who hate God and slaughter His people. The whole concept of the marriage being a flight into heaven where we will feast for seven years has no basis in Scripture whatsoever. It is a man-made myth. The Bible says that when the marriage takes place King Messiah those who have been made ready, will execute judgment on the beast, the false prophet and the unrepentant men that formed the armies which came out against us.

Heaven was not rejoicing because the party had started. It was rejoicing because the great whore, Babylon, was finally being judged (Rev. 18:20). She who was drunken with the blood of the saints, the one who has butchered God’s people throughout the centuries (Rev. 17:6), was finally being judged.

John saw an "altar" in heaven (Rev. 6:9). He saw under the altar the "souls" of them that were slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. What were the martyrs crying? Were they asking God when the party was going to start? Were they asking for their mansions and golden slippers? No. They wanted revenge! They cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth" (Rev. 6:10)?

The prince of the power of the air has caused justice to cease from off the earth. The King is coming back to judge and make war on those who have oppressed and decimated the people of God from time immemorial. The sin and wickedness of man, the rebellion that Satan started in eons past, will finally be put down. Those who have hated God will be paid back in full measure and the blood will flow like a river.

After the King has subdued the nations, then peace can be established on this planet. After the rebellion is put down, then the people of the earth will submit to the authority of God, which will bring peace and blessing. Jesus is not going to do everything alone. He is preparing a body, a wife who will rule with Him. They will judge with Him and carry out vengeance with Him. They will also bless, heal and guide the saved nations with Him.

God is preparing a Royal Priesthood. He desires to make you a king and priest. Priests shepherd people; they provide spiritual protection for them; they care for them. Kings rule; they exercise authority and judgment; they decree punishments and wage war.

This Royal Priesthood will not only be God's priests and kings, it will also be His army. He is raising up that army today. He is teaching them how to war against His enemies. He is training them how to resist the enemy, how to stand against him and overcome him. They are being trained by the Spirit of God to be warriors for Christ. When the call goes forth to go out and meet the Bridegroom, they will be ready to follow King Messiah into battle, to subdue His enemies and set up the everlasting Kingdom of God.

This is why preparation is so vital. We do not become experienced soldiers instantaneously. We must be trained. We have to learn how to do battle. The ability to govern and shepherd can never be imputed. It is a curriculum, a schooling that must be learned. It takes time. Going into the marriage has nothing to do with whether or not we have been justified by the blood of Jesus. It has to do with whether or not we are capable of functioning as a king and priest. Those who have not been trained to rule cannot rule.

Dispensationalism has also lied to us concerning the time of the wedding. If the marriage is the prelude to Armageddon rather than the prelude to a seven-year party in the spirit realm, then the whole concept of the Church being raptured before the Great Tribulation is a giant religious hoax.

The doctrine of the pre-tribulation rapture is the icing on the great Dispensational cake. Many ingredients are needed to produce and support Dispensationalism but the rapture seems to be the sweetest part of this end-time delusion. Like children who love to eat the icing off cake, most Christians only want to hear about the rapture.

Indeed, the "blessed hope" of the Church is no longer the coming of the Kingdom of God to earth but the going of the Church to Paradise. The Lord is not actually coming to establish the kingdom. Rather, He is simply dropping by to give us a ride to Paradise.

Most Christians get upset when someone starts questioning the reliability of the pre-trib rapture doctrine. All kinds of reasons are given as to why the Church has to be taken out of the world before the Great Tribulation. However, none of the reasons presented are the real reason we are taught this lie. The reasons we are given from the pulpit are not the crux of the matter. Beneath all the common arguments stands one essential purpose for the whole doctrine—it is the necessary outcome of the separation of Israel and the Church. All of the arguments that have been produced to support the pre-tribulation rapture myth were actually designed to support the theory of the eternal separation of Israel and the Church.

If the separation of Israel and the Church is a lie—which it is—the whole purpose of the rapture of the Church collapses, for the reason the Church must leave the planet is because God has to return to His original program for the Jews, which has nothing to do with the Gentile Church.

Most of us do not realize that the scholars who teach the pre-tribulation rapture delusion teach it because Darby's Dispensational model naturally leads them to such a position. They do not teach it because they have searched the Scripture with an open heart and truly believe the Bible supports such a doctrine. Rather, they believe and teach it because the separation of Israel and the Church requires such a conclusion whether the Bible actually supports it or not!

Some ministers admit publicly that this is the case. In his book, The Rapture Question, Dispensational scholar John Walvoord frankly states that a person’s view of the separation of the Church and Israel will "determine the question more than passages dealing with the end times" (pg. 148). Charles Ryrie, on page 148 of his book, Dispensationalism, says basically the same thing:

"...the distinction between Israel and the Church leads to the belief that the Church will be taken from the earth before the beginning of the Tribulation."

(Emphasis mine)

What these religious leaders are saying is that maintaining a distinction between Israel and the Church leads the individual to adopt a pre-tribulation rapture position. The issue is not determined by a reverent study of the Scripture but by a theological presupposition. What a way to approach God's Word! In this light, Dispensationalism's boast that it rightly divides the Word of Truth is ironic. So also is the claim that its view is the only view that produces a correct understanding of God's plan of redemption.

There’s no doubt that Dispensationalism "divides" the Word of God. The real question is, does it "rightly" divide the Word? The answer is no, for the method it uses to interpret the Word is faulty. Its first principle of interpretation is that the Scripture should be interpreted always and only literally. The only exception to this rule would be verses which clearly should not be taken literally, such as where we are told to cut off our hand and pluck out our eyes if they cause us to sin (Matt.5:29-30).

This fundamental principle of interpretation was explained by Mr. Ryrie in his book. As he discusses the defining characteristics of Dispensationalism, he asks what makes a person a Dispensationalist? What is the sine qua non (the absolutely indispensable part) of the system? He then answers the question:

"A Dispensationalist keeps Israel and the Church distinct. This distinction between Israel and the Church is born out of a system of hermeneutics (interpretation) that is usually called literal interpretation. To be sure, literal/historical/grammatical interpretation is not the sole possession or practice of Dispensationalists, but the consistent use of it in all areas of biblical interpretation is."

Pp. 38 & 40 (Emphasis mine)

Here then is the definition of a Dispensationalist, as given by one of today’s most well-known and well-respected Dispensational theologians, Dr. Charles Ryrie. A Dispensationalist is one who "keeps Israel and the Church distinct." This separation is the product of a particular system of interpretation called "literal interpretation." Although literal/historical/grammatical interpretation is not unique to Dispensationalism, its application and (mis) use of this kind of interpretation is unique because only Dispensationalism uniformly applies a literal/historical/grammatical meaning to the whole of Scripture.

In other words, the inventors of Dispensationalism did not go to God's Word seeking to be directed of the Holy Spirit when forming their theology. They went to it with a system of interpretation and applied that system to every verse of Scripture. When applied to Israel, this can only mean one thing: Israel has always been, continues to be shall forever remain a separate, geo-political entity, comprised only of biological Jews. Moreover, this biological, geo-political entity must remain on earth in order to have the literal promises of God fulfilled to them.

What's wrong with interpreting the Bible literally? Nothing. The error lies not in its literal interpretation of the Scripture, but rather, in its claim that literal interpretation is the only valid interpretation. More specifically, it views the exclusive use of literal interpretation as a safety measure. It claims that exclusively literal interpretation of the Bible is the only safe way to interpret it, for once we start "spiritualizing" verses of Scripture there is no telling where it could lead us.

In the minds of those who invented Dispensationalism, there had to be a system which would stop people from inventing wild interpretations that destroy the faith. Therein lies the great flaw of Dispensationalism—it is placing its security in a system developed by man. It is trusting in man’s ability to keep us out of religious deception, rather than trusting in the ability of the Spirit to keep us out of deception. The result is that millions of believers are relying on the arm of religious flesh to interpret the Bible!

God said, "cursed be the man that trusteth in man maketh flesh his arm" (Jer. 17:5). No wonder Dispensationalism is so full of error—it’s cursed! It relies on deductive reasoning, which is being employed without reference to the whole counsel of God. It took a principle of interpretation and built a massive theological structure on it. Any verse of Scripture that doesn't fit or support the structure is treated as less important (even suspect) and avoided if possible. Those which cannot be avoided are reinterpreted to fit the structure. Handling the Bible this way is wicked.

In many cases the editors of study Bibles will underline the verses which they are using as prime axioms, or they will incorporate a reference system that leads the reader down the doctrinal path espoused by them. The student is to proceed according to the scheme of deductive reasoning without paying too much attention to the context of the verse or the line of thought the writer of a particular book was developing. Many times the passages have been divorced from the overall flow of the message of the writer. The result is that people know all the key verses in the New Testament but quote them out of context and apply them incorrectly.

A good example of this confusion is the application of verses like Romans 6:23 (for the wages of sin is death) or Hebrews 2:3 (how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation) or Revelation 3:20 (behold I stand at the door and knock) to the unsaved. Week in and week out, pastors direct these verses to the sinner in an attempt to warn him of the danger of not being saved. But these warnings were not written to the sinner. They were directed towards Christians! The apostles were warning us (how shall we escape) not to continue in sin or neglect our salvation.

Paul said the wages of sin is death; that is, spiritual death. He didn't qualify that statement. It is a spiritual law that applies to everyone. The wages of sin is death to sinner and saint alike. In Revelation, Jesus was warning New Testament believers (the Church of Laodicea) that He was about to spue them out of His mouth because they had become lukewarm. He was outside the church, knocking to get in! The Bible was not written to the unsaved. It was written to the saints. It was written to God’s people. Unfortunately, in order for us to take these warnings seriously and apply them to ourselves we would have to discard many of the man-made traditions we have been taught all our lives.

In other cases, study Bibles will supply "expository notes" which attempt to clarify certain key verses. Those who rely upon these notes for their understanding of redemption could end up sorely disappointed—eternally. We should exercise caution when using them.

Annotated Bibles are published by scholars and theologians. While there is nothing wrong with reading them, we should always keep in mind that scholars are skilled at bringing others to the same biblical views that they hold through doctrinal analysis, word definitions and so forth. They can be very persuasive and subtle. This is good if they are presenting the truth. But it is spiritually destructive if they are promoting error; and the result of relying on notes that are teaching error is that we end up believing exactly the opposite of what God intended.

A more faithful approach to the Scripture is to search out all that God has to say on a matter and then allow the Spirit to induce truth or give spiritual illumination. After all, God wrote the Book! He knows how to interpret it. He has given us His Spirit and promised to teach us and guide us into all truth. We should listen to Him more and religious leaders much less.

The marriage of the Lamb is rapidly approaching friend. Are you ready to meet King Messiah? Are you keeping your garments clean? Are you following Him whithersoever He goeth? Are you denying yourself and taking up your cross daily? Are you being conformed to the image of Christ? Will you be ready to follow Him into battle when the trumpet sounds? The prayer of this writer is that you will be ready.

And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence not be ashamed before him at his coming.

I. John 2:28